SERR Delos Santos of Mapandan town secured his place after winning the Elite Men’s Boxing 54-57 kg category during the Provincial Tryouts for the Philippine National Games 2023, held from October 18 to 20, 2023, in Lingayen.

Twenty-year-old Delos Santos from Barangay Coral in Mapandan, is a criminology student at the Philippine College of Criminology. He trains under the guidance of coach Joan Aliguin Tipon, a former Asian Games (Asiad) gold medalist.

The pride of Mapandan faced off against his sole rival from Sual in the same weight category. Delos Santos faced early challenges in the opening round due to an accidental slip that resulted in a count. However, he made a remarkable comeback in the second round, achieving a victory via TKO (Technical Knockout).

Despite his tenacious performance in the ring, Delos Santos had to contend with weight loss to meet the weigh-in requirements.

He expressed, “I worked hard and even self-starved to get in shape, which is why I was more composed to recover my lost points from the first round.”

With his eyes set on becoming an inspiration to his fellow hometown athletes, Delos Santos is determined to aim for the gold as he advances to the National Games. (Kim Gealogo)

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