Student boxer in coma; PSC calls for safety measures

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia yesterday said accidents in sports, especially if it involves youth athletes, can be avoided if organizers seek the help of the experts.

Garcia made the comment after a 16-year-old student fell into a coma during a boxing match in the Central Luzon Regional Athletic Association meet in Iba, Zambales last Monday.

Jonas Joshua Garcia of San Miguel, Bulacan complained of dizziness during the second round of his match. The fight was stopped and he was taken to the hospital.

A report by ABS-CBN said the student is now in comatose due to internal hemorrhage.

“First, I would like to express my concern. It’s sad and I sympathize with the family of this young athlete,” said Garcia.

Tonisito Umali, DepEd spokesperson, said they are conducting an investigation whether there was negligence on the part of the officials running the boxing tournament.

The boxing matches were subsequently scrapped amid calls from the public to ban the sport from youth-oriented tournaments.

Garcia said dropping boxing from the Palarong Pambansa calendar is not the solution, considering that the sport plays a key role in the country’s grassroots sports program.

“To ban the sport is not the answer. It’s not only in boxing but even in baseball. It’s like you get hit by a baseball and you die and you ban baseball. We have make it as safe as possible for everybody,” he said.

The event, a qualifier for the 2014 Palarong Pambansa, is being run by the Department of Education. The DepEd only seeks the help of the PSC and the different national sports associations (NSAs) for the national finals.