By Tom Degun

Philippines boxingFebruary 18 - The 2013 ASBC Asian Confederation Youth Boxing Championship are set to be one of the biggest ever with 24 countries now having confirmed their participation for the event next month at Subic Bay in the Philippines.


The Championships, which are due take place from March 10 until 16, will see fighters aged between 17 and 18 compete across ten weight divisions from light flyweight to super heavyweight.

The event will be Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP), who are confident of a successful event despite the scale competition.

"This is fast becoming a logistical challenge but we are meeting it head-on," said ABAP President Ricky Vargas.

"We're looking forward to a great tournament."

Manny PacquiaoBoxing star Manny Pacquiao has dramatically increased the popularity of the sport in his native Philippines

The popularity of boxing in the Philippines has soared dramatically in recent years largely due to superstar Manny Pacquiao.

The 34-year-old from Bukidnon is an eight-division world champion and widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers despite a loss in his last fight to long-time rival Juan Manuel Márquez of Mexico.

Pacquiao is also a politician having been elected to the House of Representatives in the 15th Congress of the Philippines in May 2010, representing the province of Sarangani.

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