The Games and Amusements Board thru Chairman Abraham Mitra announced it is now considering including magnetic resonance imaging or MRI as one of the licensing requirements for professional boxers.
In a meeting of the GAB ratings committee recently, Chairman Mitra mentioned to attendees that “as a response to the recent debate between Senators (Franklin) Drilon and (Manny) Pacquiao during the interpellations on Senate Bill No. 130,” the GAB is now inclined and seriously studying requiring all professional boxers to undergo MRI”.
The GAB ratings committee is composed of GAB officials and representatives from promoters groups, managers, matchmakers, media and boxers,
Chairman Mitra mentioned to attendees that “as a response to the recent debate between Senators (Franklin) Drilon and (Manny) Pacquiao during the interpellations on Senate Bill No. 130,” the GAB is now inclined and seriously studying requiring all professional boxers to undergo MRI”.
Mitra said that boxers shall be required to undergo MRI tests annually in order to secure a license.
Senator Pacquiao was quoted in the Senate debate transcript as saying that “ dapat ginagawa ng GAB, pero hindi nila ginagawa (GAB should be doing it, but they are not doing it)”.
Leading matchmaker Art Mones said, “this is another imposition on the boxers, and, promoters will surely carry the burden. This imposition could kill Philippine boxing as they might stop promoting because of the high cost of MRI which is about P8-12,000.”
Mitra and commissioners Fritz Gaston and Eduard Trinidad regularly meet with boxing stakeholders in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
“We are extending our utmost assistance to them to reinvigorate Philippine boxing,” Mitra said. “Our mandate is to look after the welfare of the boxers and we do all our best to make sure they are all fit to fight and that we avoid mismatches,” said Mitra.
He added, “we look up to Senator Manny as our Godfather and guru and if he feels very strongly that MRI should be imposed then we will heed his advice and do so.”
“We recognize the wisdom of requiring MRI from the start, for the welfare of the boxers. It’s just a question of budget, and GAB has reiterated that need from the inception of the discussions,” Mitra concluded.
Pacquiao filed the bill dubbed Boxers’ Welfare Act seeking to form the Philippine Boxing Commission separate from the GAB and will have its own separate budget and officials.