Lopez wants electronic scoring in boxing

FORMER Philippine Sports Commission chair Mel Lopez Jr., remembering how the Philippines was robbed of its first Olympic gold medal in the 1996 Atlanta boxing competitions, again extolled the merits of the proposed electronic scoring system in Olympic-style boxing to establish fairness in the sport.

Lopez, also the former mayor of Manila, served as member of the executive committee of the Asian International Boxing Association for two terms (1996 and 1999), where he staunchly fought for the use of the new scoring machine to ensure that legitimate punches are recorded promptly and accordingly.

The scoring system had been

originally designed in the Soviet Union and was revolutionized by German and Austrian engineers.

It uses sensors in the gloves and the vest, which covers the area of the boxers body, patterned after the fencing scoring equipment. The sensors record every regular hit thus ruling out subjective element in the scoring of a bout.

Lopez led a faction of AIBA officials calling for intensified research and further improvement of the existing scoring system, but their efforts were overtaken by clash of opinions and politics in the world boxing body.

AIBA is responsible for the accreditation and participation of national boxing federations in the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, World Championships and the Olympics.

Lopez left for London yesterday, in time for the Olympic opening ceremony. Mel’s son, Manny Lopez, is the chief of mission of the Philippine delegation.