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GAB jeopardizes quest for Olympic boxing gold

INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA - Mark Anthony Barriga of Philippines (red) in action against the 2014 Asian Games match at Seonhak Gymnasium on September 25, 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)
INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA - Mark Anthony Barriga of Philippines (red) in action against the 2014 Asian Games match at Seonhak Gymnasium on September 25, 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. (Photo by Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)

 

The insistence by Chairman Ramon “Monju” Guanzon of the Games and Amusements Board that London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga and multi-titled Charly Suarez  secure a professional boxer’s  license from the GAB Boxing Division will jeopardize the country’s quest for a coveted Olympic gold medal.

The International Boxing Federation or AIBA, the association recognized  by the International Olympic Committee, has made it clear that should Barriga and Suarez be forced to secure professional boxers  licenses from the GAB, they will be disqualified from competing in the Olympic Games which will be held in Brazil next year.

The action may also result in the IOC, which abhors government interference in sports, not just suspending the ABAP but even the Philippines from participating in the Olympic Games based on the insistence of the GAB – a government agency – that the two boxers secure professional boxing licenses.

It may be relevant to note that in late 2012 the IOC suspended the Indian Olympic Association because of the IOA’s  “failure to comply with the Olympic Charter and its statutes….and as a protective measure against government interference in the IOA’s election process.”

The New York Times noted that most of India’s sports leaders are politicians who are either too old or have been in power too long to meet international leadership guidelines.

With the decision the IOC noted that the IOA was “no longer entitled to exercise any activity or right, including financial support conferred on it by the Olympic Charter or the IOC until the suspension is lifted by the IOIC executive board.”

This was done 14 months later when the suspension was lifted in February  2014.

As the ABAP sought a reconsideration of the GAB position, the Executive Director of the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines Ed Picson received a letter from AIBA executive director Ho Kim last December 22 which stated that in the view of AIBA “it is not appropriate for government bodies to interfere in the organization and administration of sports programs”  of National Federations under the umbrella of the IOC.

Ho Kim made it clear that the requirement by AIBA that member organizations including National Federations remove the reference to ‘Amateur’ has not changed the nature or the substance of the AIBA Open Boxing (AOB) competitions but recognizes that the modern sport of boxing no longer confirms to the perception of ‘amateur.’

The AIBA official emphasized that in removing the reference to ‘amateur’ they are in accordance with Olympic sports across the world while the AIBA continues to run all competitions in accordance with the International Olympic Committee as the recognized governing body for boxing which is clearly set out in the AIBA Statutes and Competition rules.

Lightweight boxer Charly Suarez (red) of the Philippines, seen here in a file photo. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Lightweight boxer Charly Suarez (red) of the Philippines, seen here in a file photo. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)



Ho Kim pointed out that the AIBA Pro Boxing Competition (APB) and the World Series of Boxing (WSB) have been developed by AIBA in order to provide boxers with a career path in boxing and to allow them to compete in fully regulated and transparent boxing competitions with the APB and WSB  subject to AIBA rules and regulations including strict requirements to ensure health and safety of all participants protected at events and on an ongoing basis. Both competitions have been constituted by the AIBA Statutes which are IOC recognized.

The AIBA executive director said “it must be noted that both competitions enable boxers to qualify for the Olympic Games and all boxers participating in APB and WSB retain their eligibility to participate in AOB competitions.

Ho Kim pointed out that they do not use the word “professional” in any of the AIBA programs which he suggested “should be clearly explained to your government.”

Several countries have faced the same situation with their governments, including Mexico, and that once the issues had been clarified the governments concerned understood the nature and intent of the AIBA programs and have had no further issues.

It was also made crystal clear that any boxer signed to APB is eligible to compete in AIBA programs only and is prohibited from participating in competitions not sanctioned by AIBA or from being associated with other professional organizations or programs.

AIBA said that “since the GAB has not had a role regulating ABAP to date, we fail to see how a change in the Federation’s name but not the actual competitions requires its involvement at this stage. It also made it clear that the ABAP is still a National Federation recognized by the international governing body and thus subject to its rules and regulations and that the AIBA’S understanding of the role of the GAB is to protect boxers involved in the traditional form of ‘professional  boxing’ and other individual contact sports which are unregulated, do not have a single international governing body and not subject to the same requirements as the AIBA competitions.”

Chairman Guanzon flatly refused to listen to the pleas of the ABAP. He bluntly told Yahoo Philippines that should the boxers apply for a license and the ABAP is suspended “that’s your problem”, failing to appreciate the fact that the quest for an Olympic gold medal in boxing is an enterprise in which all sectors need to cooperate.

What Guanzon  failed to realize is that the Philippine Sports Commission which funds the various National Sports Associations was created by Republic Act 6847 which states in Section 13 that the “National sports association recognized by the Commission shall be autonomous and shall have exclusive technical control over the promotion and development of the particular sport for which they are organized subject however to the National sports associations  organized for their respective sports in the Philippines and/or affiliated with their respective international federations which are recognized by the International Olympic.”

In seeking to justify his position Guanzon is banking on Executive Order  392 series of 1951 issued by President Manuel Roxas which created the GAB and specified that the agency was “to supervise and regulate the operations of professional sports and amusement games in the country.”

What he fails to realize is that a mere executive order cannot override the provisions of a Republic Act which is part of the law of the land and guarantees the autonomy of the NSAs such as ABAP.

In fact the GAB issues licenses upon application of an athlete which means that the GAB cannot force the boxers to apply for a professional license.

Guanzon also threatened to issue a hold departure order against Barriga and Suarez, failing to appreciate that he would have to convince the Department of Justice which has jurisdiction over the Bureau of Immigration that there is a legal basis for  the issuance of such an order and that it cannot be based merely on his opinion.

ABAP president Ricky Vargas told Yahoo Philippines that Chairman Guanzon would have to answer the public outcry should AIBA ban Barriga and Suarez from competing in the qualifying tournaments for the Olympic Games.

Guanzon told us he is “willing to face the music” even as he challenged the ABAP “to go to court because I have already decided.”

Perhaps Chairman Guanzon and the GAB should heed the words of President Benigno Aquino III who welcomed the World  Dragon Boat champion team which captured five gold medals, two silver medals and broke two world records while competing in the 10th International Dragon Boat Federation World Championships in Florida, even as his uncle, POC president Jose “Peping” Cojuangco refused to approve the trip to Florida which made the team ineligible for funding from the Philippine Sports Commission.

President Aquino said then, “we will strive especially to remove politics from  sports” emphasizing that sports “should be a unifying activity rather than a divisive activity.”

Editor's note: The blogger's views do not represent Yahoo! Southeast Asia's position on the topic or issue being discussed in this post.