AIBA bars Pinoys from SEA Games

MANILA, Philippines - Two crack Filipino fighters who are virtual shoo-ins for medals at the Southeast Asian Games won’t be able to join the Singapore competitions this year as Mark Anthony Barriga and Charly Suarez are mandated by AIBA to participate in the Olympic qualifiers through the AIBA Pro Boxing (APB) program that gathers the top contenders in 10 divisions to determine world champions from lightflyweight to superheavyweight.

ABAP executive director Ed Picson said yesterday his hands are tied because of the AIBA ruling but guaranteed the absence of Barriga and Suarez won’t hamper the country’s drive for medals in Singapore. The APB begins its inaugural season in different venues next month. Barriga is ranked No. 3 in the lightflyweight division by AIBA and will participate in the APB which starts action in the 46-49 kilogram category in China. Suarez is ranked No. 3 in the lightweight class which begins hostilities in Kazakhstan. The top 8 in each division are seeded to compete in the APB where each fighter is assured of four bouts a season with a minimum purse of $3,000 per outing.

The top two placers of each division in the APB will receive automatic tickets to the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. Fights are scheduled from six to eight to 10 and for world championship bouts, to 12 rounds. Fighters wear no headgear and singlets. AIBA will give 20 percent of the gross purses of fighters to their national federation over and above what they take home. In the case of Barriga and Suarez, the ABAP is the national federation that will receive the windfall from AIBA.

“ABAP fully supports this AIBA initiative,” said Picson. “The APB is also endorsed by the International Olympic Committee and is one of the gateways available for our fighters to qualify for the Olympics. At the last Olympics in 2012, we qualified only Mark. We’re hoping to qualify both Mark and Charly through the APB.”

Picson said he has conferred with PSC chairman Richie Garcia and GAB chairman Juan Ramon Guanzon on the AIBA ruling. “Chairman Guanzon is requiring Mark and Charly to secure professional licenses but under the law, the GAB issues licenses only to those who apply,” noted Picson. “In Republic Act 6847, Section 13, it is clearly stated that the PSC acknowledges the mandate of all National Sports Associations to assign the athletes who represent the country. Chairman Guanzon has threatened to go to court and seek a hold order on our fighters who are leaving next month to compete in the APB. But from what I understand, a hold order is issued only for those charged with a criminal offense. Mark and Charly are not criminals, they’re national athletes who bring honor to our country.”

Picson said at the moment, Barriga receives a monthly allowance of P40,000 and Suarez, P30,000 from the PSC. Since they will not participate in the coming SEA Games, their allowance will be cut to P20,000 each.

“If we prevent Mark and Charly from competing in the APB and instead, fight in the SEA Games, it will be a step backward,” said Picson. “The Olympics is the bigger picture. Because of their high world ranking, Mark and Charly are in line to qualify for Rio de Janeiro.”

Barriga and Suarez are veterans of another AIBA initiative, the team-oriented World Series of Boxing or WSB. Barriga has fought with the Italy team and Suarez, with Mumbai and Italy. Barriga, 21, is a London Olympic veteran who claimed a bronze medal at the Incheon Asian Games last year. Suarez, 26, is a two-time SEA Games gold medalist.

Picson said the APB is also opening its doors to pro boxers with less than 20 bouts. But once a pro boxer joins the ABP or WSB, he will not be allowed to fight for any other promoter or sanctioning body. AIBA president Dr. Wu Ching Kuo has said he will make an exception for world champions like Manny Pacquiao and Wladimir Klitschko to join the AIBA even if they’ve exceeded the limit of 20 fights.

Picson said in place of Barriga, he will recommend either Rogen Ladon or Aldren Moreno to fight in the lightflyweight division at the SEA Games. Ladon, 21, took the gold in international tournaments in Hong Kong in 2011 and in Taipei in 2012. Last year, he claimed the bronze at the Lions Cup in Sri Lanka. Moreno, 19, captured the gold and gained the Best Boxer award at the National Championships in 2012. He won the gold at the Philippine National Games last year.

To replace Suarez, Picson suggested either Junel Cantancio or James Palicte. Cantancio, 28, bagged the silver in the lightweight division at the 2013 SEA Games in Myanmar. He also earned the silver at the China Open in Guiyang that year. Palicte, 20, won the gold at the Asian Youth Championships in 2013.