Nine Filipino prizefighters from the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, three of them women, depart tomorrow  for Jakarta, Indonesia to compete in the 21st President’s Cup set July 3-8 at the Gelora Bung Karno Stadium in Istora Senayan.

More than 200 boxers from 30 countries will be vying for top honors.

In response to an invitation from Setya Novanto, president of the Indonesian Amateur Boxing Federation (PERTINA), ABAP executive director Ed Picson assembled a topnotch contingent that included highly-ranked lightweight Charly Suarez (60 Kgs) and the country’s leading female boxers – light flyweight Josie Gabuco (48 Kgs), flyweight Analisa Cruz (51 Kgs), and bantamweight Nesthy Petecio (54 Kgs).

Joining Suarez, one of the country’s brightest Olympic gold medal hopes, in the men’s team are light flyweight Ian Clark Bautista (49 Kgs), flyweight Edillo Abrea Jr. (52 Kgs), bantamweight Nilo Magliquian (56 Kgs), light welterweight Nathaniel Montealto (64 Kgs), and welterweight Rheinald Michael Brina (69 Kgs).

In addition to the host, which will field three local teams, boxing powerhouses Russia, China and Kazakhstan will also be participating along with India, Afghanistan, Australia, Bhutan, Botswana, Hong Kong, Iran, Japan, Kyrgyzstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sierra Leone, Singapore, South Korea, Chinese Taipei, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Vietnam.

The tournament, revived after a seven year break, will serve as a tune-up for the first qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympics, the AIBA World Championships at the Heydar Aliyev Sports and Exhibition Complex in Baku, Azerbaijan from Sept. 25-Oct. 8, a gauge of the level of global competition, and a familiarity course regarding rule modifications being implemented by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA).