The six-nation Manny V. Pangilinan International Friendship Cup set July 14 to 19 at the PICC Forum will be the barometer of the competence of Filipino boxers scheduled to attend training camps in Los Angeles and San Francisco in August and the Women’s World Championship in Bridgetown, Barbado in September.

“Their worthiness will be gauged in this tournament,” Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines executive director Ed Picson said.

“Of course, all these preparations are geared toward an excellent showing in the Asian Games in Guangzhou this November.”

Patterned after the hugely successful Mayor’s Cup, the MVP International Friendship Cup has lured fighters from China, Taiwan,

Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Hong Kong. The tournament offers $1,000 for every gold medal won in the seven weight categories for the men’s division and five in the women’s class.

A sixth country, Mongolia, backed out a few days ago, but Macau has sent word of “their desire to come here pending approval of their request to their government ministry.”

The RP team will field two squads in the men’s division and four of five categories in the women’s class.

Weight divisions in the men’s side are 48kgs, 51kgs, 54kgs, 57kgs, 60kgs, 64kgs and 69kgs, while the female boxers will slug it out in the 46kgs, 48kgs, 51kgs, 54kgs, and 57 kgs divisions.

“This is in response to the clamor from the international boxing community for the country to once again host a boxing tournament,” ABAP president Ricky Vargas said.