THE third Dagon Shwe Aung Lan Myanmar traditional boxing challenge fight series will be held on December 12-13 and January 23-24, 2010 at Thuwanna Indoor Stadium in Yangon, organisers announced last week.

The first weekend of fixtures will include semi-final challenge fights, with Lone Chaw (75 kilograms) taking on Shwe Sai (75kg) and Saw Nga Man (73kg) facing Kyal Linn Aung (64kg) in the freeweight category on December 13.

First class category semi final bouts will be held on December 12, with Tway Ma Shaung (63.5kg) meeting Mandalay youngster Zaw Poe K (71kg) and Tun Tun (71kg) scheduled to face Zan Htoo (74kg).

Promoter U Sai Zaw Zaw said the competition had been expanded to include a “second class” category.

“In the second series, there were only two categories – free weight and first class. But now for this third series we will add another event category, for boxers in the 57-60kg range. Most of these boxers are young and this is a good opportunity for them to get some recognition and prize money,” he said.

The freeweight champ will take home K3 million, while the first and second class winners will both receive K2 million, he said.

“The Dagon Shwe Aung Lan competition is different from the Golden Belt Boxing Championships... [because] we only select the most talented boxers to compete,” U Sai Zaw Zaw said.

In the second Dagon Shwe Aung Lan challenge fight series, Saw Nga Man won the freeweight title and Tway Ma Shaung was the first class champion.

Tickets are K8000 for grandstand seats and K5000 for ordinary tickets.