Ancajas to take honorary Navy oath for special training

MANILA, Philippines – Boxing champion and Philippine Navy reservist Jerwin Ancajas will officially take his oath as an honorary member of the Naval Special Operations Group (NAVSOG) training Tuesday as part of his preparations for the shelved title defense against Mexico’s Jonathan Rodriguez.

Ramping up his camp for the IBF junior bantamweight bout rescheduled to next month or September, the fighting pride of Panabo City will be joining his Navy SEALs comrades in a series of exercises until his departure to US.

His trainer Joven Jimenez, who was a former Navyman himself, considers this camp a huge help in adding fuel to Ancajas’ desire to retain his IBF crown for the ninth time in a row.

“He’s up for oathtaking at 9 a.m. today, then we’ll buckle down to Navy training right away,” Jimenez told The STAR on Monday, following the blessing of Flag Officer in Command Vice Admiral Giovanni Bacordo, Naval Reserve Command’s Major General Ariel Caculitan and GSC CNAVSOG’s Capt. Dwight Dulnoan.

“Jerwin’s morale is off the charts because of this honorary training. He’s very happy and inspired working out with the Navymen.”

Serving in the Naval Reserve Command since 2018, the Senior Chief Petty Office was supposed to take his NAVSOG oath last Friday at the Danilo Atienza Air Base in Cavite City before the rescheduling today that will signal his heightened training from his previous camp in Magallanes.

Since his arrival last week in Navy base though, Ancajas already started his boxing training with jogging, sparring and circuit workouts.

Jimenez, Ancajas and the rest of the crew are also thankful for the Navy’s lending hand in processing their U.S visa application in the middle of the pandemic. They hope to get their clearances before the end of the month.

The 28-year-old Ancajas (32-1-2, 22 KOs) is coming off a TKO win over Miguel Gonzales in Mexico last December and was supposed to gun for a quick follow-up against Rodriguez last April in Las Vegas before the fight postponement due to the coronavirus crisis.