MARIKINA -- If his parents were given a choice, 14-year-old Fredrich Locsin said they would rather have him shooting hoops.

But instead of lacing up his shoes at courtside, he is wrapping his hands with tape beside the ring as he prepares for a boxing match outside the Plaza De Los Alcaldes in Marikina City, Wednesday afternoon.

The teen, who had flown all the way from Region 7, felt invincible, as he stepped into the squared ring to face his opponent from Region 12 for one of the boxing matches at the 63rd Edition of Palarong Pambansa.

“Sabi nila, huwag ko pagpatuloy boxing kasi ano mangyari sa akin, mabagok ulo, madala ospital. Brutal boxing eh,” he said.

While knowing their son will be taking a hit will admittedly never get easier, their perturbation somewhat fades after every blow, hook, and jab their son scores.

Thus for this bout, where the teen managed to pepper his opponent with lightning quick combinations en route to a unanimous decision victory, he knows it will make it easier for his father and mother to weigh-in on his dream.

As he slumped to his corner battered, Locsin eased his pain with the fact that he is closer to achieving the ambition he dreamt up when he was 9 year saw after he saw matches of his idol, the Mexican legend Canelo Alvarez.

“Matagal na, bata pa ako gusto ko na maging world champion” he confidently quipped.

Meanwhile, in the dugout another young boxer, this time from Region 3, Mark Davidson Del Socorro, was shadow-boxing with his coach. His match is just a few minutes away against a boxer from Region 11.

The Visayas and Mindanao regions are known to have produced such great boxers like Manny Pacquiao and Mark Magsayo.

But Del Socorro is confident he can represent the island of Luzon in boxing.

“Training lang po talaga. Masasanay din sa tiyaga at sipag” he said as he made his way to the ringside area.

He was excited to fight because among the crowd outside eagerly waiting were his parents who came all the way from Olongapo to support him.

After three rounds, his heftier opponent beat him. But Del Socorro said he will use this loss as fuel to become better.

According to a boxing trainer from Region 2, Bernie Yarcia, the selection process for the boxing competition at the Palarong Pambansa was strict. This will prevent untoward incidents in such a brutal sport where one wrong hit could not only be career-ending but life-threatening as well.

“Itong mga amateur boxers natin dumadaan sa rigid training talaga. Siyempre ang mga player na ito galing sa iba-ibang rehiyon, talagang si-nelect nila ang pinaka-the best kaya lahat siguradong sigurado wala madidisgrasya dahil nag-training sila,” Yarcia said.

Locsin will step into the ring again the next day to move further in the tournament, while Del Socorro will be relegated to being a spectator, but plans to once again represent Region 3 in next year’s games.

Both teens, however, are not the slightest deterred in chasing their dreams— no matter how big their next blow may be.

But for Locsin, his dreams aren't limited to these youth games.

“Matagal na, bata pa ako, gusto ko na maging world champion," he said.