Ang Kalatas Volume III September 2013 Issue | Page 32

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THE MESSAGE. BRINGING INTO FOCUS FILIPINO PRESENCE IN AUSTRALIA. www.kalatas.com.au | Ang Kalatas Australia | Vol. 3 No. 12 | September 2013

SPORTS

Fil-Aussie export cager ‘Wonderboy’ continues to soar after youth title
VIOLI CALVERT
FILIPINO-Australian cager Ridge Mantua soars in his pursuit to play basketball in the Philippines with his team remaining undefeated in the juniors division of the 13th Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc basketball tournament. The 16-year old player left Sydney early this year to play centre and power forward positions in the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Magis Eagles. The Magis Eagles won the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in April. It remains undefeated after winning 64-59 against strong rival team University of San Carlos (USC) Baby Warriors in the CESAFI tournament game played recently at the Cebu Coliseum. Mantua’s basketball journey which includes winning a scholarship at an elite school has inspired local young basketball players. Three players are also set to go to Cebu later this year to try their luck in Philippine basketball teams. Season 13 of CESAFI has just commenced. Information on the competition and the facility to watch the games live could be accessed through this link: http:// cesa?.sunstar.com.ph/live. Despite Mantua’s tight schedule of team training, games and studies, he still ?nds time for his passion for music. He does the music arrangements for his mother Cleo Diana who is a known local performer in Sydney. FILIPINO rising star and former World Boxing Council (WBC) Interim Youth champion Gabriel ‘Wonderboy’ Altarejos is coming to challenge Queensland’s World Boxing Federation (WBF) Asia Paci?c Youth featherweight champion Brayd Smith for the vacant WBC World Youth Silver title on October 4. The ?ght will be held at Rumours International, in Toowoomba. Altarejos, who boasts a record of 12 wins (4 by KO), 2 losses and one draw, is handled by the famous Elorde Boxing Stable in Paranaque, Philippines. Smith has a record of 6 wins (5 by KO), no losses. He the WBF Asia Paci?c Youth title in March this year when his opponent’s corner threw in the towel with only 23 seconds of the 10th and ?nal round to go. However this victory came at a price leaving Smith with a fractured right hand and a torn ?exor tendon from his right wrist, an injury which saw Smith take a forced lay off for several months.
Gabriel ‘Wonderboy’Altarejos at the scales before one of his fights.

Now though he feels his hand is as good as ever and is excited at the opportunity of moving back into a title ?ght. “I’m thrilled to be given the opportunity to ?ght for such a prestigious title,” said Brayd Smith. “The WBC is one of if not the biggest sanctioning body in the world so to be given the chance to ?ght for their World Youth Silver title in front of my home crowd is extremely exciting.” The Smith v Altarejos title match will take place as the second main event of Brendon Smith’s ?ve-bout boxing card headlining another Filipino import, Jack Asis, taking on Japans Hirohito Fukuhara for the WBC Asia Continental super featherweight title.