Pasadena resident and Olympic hopeful David Mijares, junior middle weight, is scheduled to compete in the National Golden Gloves Championships May 11-16 in Las Vegas after capturing the state title at the California Golden Gloves State Championships April 11 in Visalia.
Mijares, 19, attends Santa Monica College and has trained with Villa-Parke Community Center’s head boxing coach Fausto De La Torre since 2010.
If Mijares wins the national title, he could qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympic trials. If he qualifies at the Olympic trials, he will be eligible to compete as part of the U.S. Olympic Team.
The community is invited to attend the biannual Villa-Parke Boxing Show at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 16, at the Villa-Parke Community Center gymnasium, 363 E. Villa St. Hosted by the Pasadena Boxing Club, the show will feature 15 to 20 bouts between competitors from all over Southern California ranging from 8 to 40 years of age.
Twelve Villa-Parke boxers will compete, including the Southern California Golden Gloves District Boxing Champion Christian Camarena. A donation of $8 is encouraged for spectators attending the event. Donations will be accepted at the door on the day of the event. Contact Fausto De La Torre at (626) 744-6531 for more information.
The Villa-Parke Community Center Boxing Program was established in the 1940s and has since become a training ground for many Olympic hopefuls and professional boxers. The program is open to male and female competitors ages 8 and older. Coach De La Torre, a former amateur boxer and product of the Villa-Parke Community Center Boxing Program, has been the program’s head trainer for 18 years.
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