GAB no longer just amusement

The two stood out from among the rest of the passengers. It was an eight-hour bus ride bound for Davao and the college student in me couldn’t help but notice the expensive Oakley shades one was wearing. It was a pair college students could only dream of owning but after the initial amazement, I noticed the bruises the shades hid.

And I couldn’t help but listen to their conversation. Mr. Expensive Shades was a boxer, on his way home; the pair a gift from his manager who promised to send his purse once he got home and as assurance that he won’t be ripped off, he got a pair as a gift.

He was the first boxer I saw up close and I always wondered if he ever got paid or what ever happened to him. Did he retire with faculties intact? Or did he end up as fodder for prospects to fatten their record with? Boxers are gullible, you see; blame it on the lack of education of most, making them easy pickings for unscrupulous managers who’d willingly sell their mothers for a quick buck.

Just recently, the Games and Amusement Board-more a subject of face palm amusing stories than actual actions in the past--finally shed their inutile mark by actually starting to look out for the welfare of the boxers. And what they discovered was chilling. Over 70 boxers faked their CT scans to get clearances to fight and all 70 have since been banned. GAB met with some of the 70 and in their own words, called it a “CT scan syndicate.” Based on data from a government hospital, a CT scan costs P2,500 but scrupulous managers weren’t even willing to spend that and had their boxers submit the same scans to GAB, which discovered the practice recently. I doubt if these boxers, on their own, went out of their way to look for these fly-by-night clinics where they can get these readily made scans.

Of the 70, none are based in Cebu, which is quite a stamp on how our managers treat their boxers, they don’t risk their lives. Because isn’t that what this is? By bypassing such medical clearance, these managers are toying with their boxers’ lives.

GAB has banned the 70 and will lift the ban only if they can secure new and legit scans. But I hope the managers, too, get penalized. Not only should they be banned, but I hope GAB looks over the contracts they have with their boxers because if they are willing to toy with their boxers’ lives, I’m pretty sure they are screwing their boxers financially, too.

Heck, it’s almost an industry practice for managers to cheat their boxers and get away with it.

Those in the boxing industry have a lot of amusing stories about how inefficient GAB is and it’s quite encouraging that that may no longer be the case.

Of the 70, none are based in Cebu, which is quite a stamp on how managers treat their boxers, they don’t risk their lives. Because isn’t that what this is? By bypassing such medical clearance, these managers are toying with their boxers’ lives. MATT DAMON