Preparations underway for national boxing championship in Arawa

PREPARATIONS for the national boxing championships in Arawa in the Autonomous Region of Bougainville in September are progressing well.
Hosts Bougainville Amateur Boxing Association and the Buka Amateur Boxing Association with their respective presidents Victor Sihung and Jezreel Ivomari are working together to begin preparations for the Sept 5-10 event.
Bougainville prides itself as the boxing stronghold of PNG and they want to show off a lot of their young talent drawn from the rural areas of Bougainville.
Sihung and Ivomari said they wanted all the associations to participate and to see for themselves the best, raw-talent Bougainville would be showcasing.
Sixteen associations throughout the country have confirmed their participation according to the event manager Joe Aufa and tournament director Dick Larry.
Aufa and Larry are concerned that the Kairuku, New Mekeo, Kainantu, Hagen, Tabubil, Misima, Wewak, Jiwaka, and Simbu associations have yet to confirm their participation.
They said both novice male and female boxers representing their provincial teams for the PNG Games would also participate in the national championships for their lead-up fights.