Cebu has always been the hotbed for boxing in the country and the breeding ground for some of the best boxing talents in the Philippines.After years of amateur boxing lull because of the Covid-19 pandemic, amateur boxing is back in Cebu City as it hosts a huge amateur boxing tournament next month.“This has been in the works for the last few months and we’re very excited,” Cebu City Sports Commision commissioner John Pages. “The pandemic is one of the reasons why we’re able to host this event. Instead of one big event they decided to spread the events all over the Philippines. They know that Cebu is very big in boxing and when they offered us to host it, we immediately took the opportunity.”The Palarong Pambansa Boxing Vismin Cup will be hosted by Cebu City from July 12 to 15 at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).The event features a total of eight teams from the Visayas and Mindanao that will be competing in 10 different divisions.According to Pages, the event will be a huge one. The show will feature a ring placed near the bottom of the CCSC grandstand and that there will be a live audience. One of Cebu’s premier boxing promotional companies, Omega Sports Promotions, will be setting up the ring along with a big screen around the boxing area.“It’s been too long of a time since Cebu last hosted a Palaro,” said Pages. “This boxing event is part of our engagement with DepEd. I hope we meet or exceed the standards. They expect highly of Cebu and we hope to give them a high quality event.”Pages assured that the event will follow Covid-19 safety protocols and that there will be doctors and nurses that will be on standby during the event.Aside from the boxing tournament, there will be a National Boxing Refresher Course from July 10 to 11 also at the CCSC.Teaching the course is referee and judge Ludy Ceriales, the first and only three-star referee and judge by the International Boxing Association.Cebu City is targeting a Palarong Pambansa hosting in 2024, 30 years after its last hosting back in 1994.“I already got the criteria and details to host the Palarong Pambansa. There are still certain facilities that we aren’t compliant with but we hope in the next three years we can host this one. We have publicly shown interest and it’s about time.”