City Congratulates Home-Grown Junior Olympic Boxing Champ

He’s shy and small, but boy, can he pack a mean punch.

Mario Aguiniga, 15, , the world Junior Olympic boxing champion in the 100-pound category and an Oxnard resident, was officially recognized Tuesday by the Oxnard City Council for his achievement.

Mario, who trains with La Colonia-PAL Boxing Club, thanked the council and said he hoped to represent Oxnard and his country in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia.

“I was honored to get that certificate,” said Mario, who has been boxing for five years. “It’s my goal to go to the Olympics and get the gold. [Fernando Vargas] is my inspiration.”

Councilman Bedford Pinkard, raised in the Colonia neighborhood and one of the boxing club’s founders, became emotional when congratulating the young boxer and the other young men from the boxing club.

Saying he never dreamed the boxing club would achieve such success, with two Colonia boxers competing in the Atlanta Olympic Games, Pinkard’s voice broke during the presentation.

“If it had not been for boxing, I don’t know where I would be today,” said Pinkard, a former boxer.

Pinkard also asked city staff to organize a welcome home parade for the local boxers when they return from Atlanta. Besides Fernando Vargas, who is on the U.S. Olympic boxing team, another locally trained boxer is fighting for Mexico.