The third annual Gilberto Mendoza Festival will begin this Saturday March 23rd in Maracay, Venezuela. The event that takes place every year since the death of the President Emeritus of the World Boxing Association (WBA) had to be postponed initially due to the blackouts that occurred a week ago in the South American country but the festival now has a new start date.

The Yesterday Recreational Center in Turmero will have a day of amateur boxing in the afternoon, while in the evening there will be a professional boxing card. Those will be the first events to kick off the festival this Saturday and they will be accompanied by other amateur boxing programs in the state.

The event will run until March 30th and will have at minimum a boxing schedule in each state of the country. On Monday the action will be in Anzoategui, Amazonas, Nueva Esparta and Portuguesa, while the rest of the week will also be important fights that will take place in Caracas, Carabobo, and Miranda. For its part, the closure could not be in Barquisimeto, birthplace of Mendoza.

The Gilberto Mendoza Festival has grown considerably year after year. It is celebrated every March in commemoration of his death and his birthday. The WBA has supported the initiative and has worked together with different associations and promoters for the development of the event over the years.