MANILA, Philippines?The five-man Philippine boxing team is ready to do battle in the inaugural AIBA World Youth Championships from Oct. 25 to Nov. 3 at the Avila Camacho Gymnasium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

In an e-mail to Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny T. Lopez, assistant coach Elmer Pamisa said that the young boxers have wrapped up their training with fellow boxers from Cuban, Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador.

?Cuban coach Dagoberto Scott and Pamisa told me that everything went well in Havana; our boxers are ready to plunge into action,? said Lopez.

The PLDT-Smart RP squad is made up of light flyweight Gerson Nietes, flyweight Welbeth Loberamis, featherweight Glicerio Catolico III, bantamweight Aston Francis Palicte and lightweight Rolando Tacuyan.

The PSC-backed team will leave for Mexico City on Thursday before flying to Guadalajara.

A total of 359 boxers from 68 countries will box for medals in 11 weight categories in the tournament which replaced the Junior World Championships which was last held in Agadir, Morroco in 1979.

Boxers 17-18 years old are eligible to compete in the event which will showcase potential talents for the 2012 London Olympics.