Mitra, naghain ng reklamo hingil sa desisyon ng OPBF sa Pinoy boxe

PINALAGAN ni Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Chairman Abraham ‘Baham’ Mitra ang naging desisyon ng Oriental Pacific Boxing Federation  (OPBF) na bawian ng titulo si Filipino bantamweight Mark John Yap.

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Sa sulat ni Mitra kay OPBF president Tsuyoshi Yasukochi ng Japan na may petsang Disyembre 24, kinuwestyon ng dating Palawang Governor at Congressman ang naging desisyon na aniya’y isang sampal para sa career at katauhan ng Pinoy fighter.

“We at the Philippines Games and Amusements Board (GAB) would like to formally inquire why Filipino boxer Mark John Yap was removed as OPBF bantamweight champion and why now only rated as # 1? May we request for an explanation,” pahayag ni Mitra.

Iginiit ni Mitra na kailangan maprotektahan ng GAB ang career at katayuan ng Pinoy boxers sa international community dahil ang pagbawi ng titulo kay Yap na walang balidong dahilan ay direktang makakaapekto sa WBC world ranking ng Pinoy boxer.

 “This (stripping of Yap’s title) has caused him (Yap) to loose his WBC # 11 world ratings,” pahayah ni Mitra, higit ay may ipinadalang opisyal na mensahe si Yasokuchi kung saan hiniling nito sas  WBC Ratings Committee ang pagalis kay Yap sa WBC rating.

“I do not want Filipinos to be pushed around,” sambit ni Mitra.

Ang OPBF,  isang  professional boxing organization na affiliated sa WBC, ay siyang may kapangyarihan na magbigay ng sanctions sa title fights sa Asian and Pacific region.

Ngunit, bilang tagapangasiwa ng professional sports sa bansa at tagapagtauyod ng career ng mga Pinoy fighters, tungkulin ng GAB na labanan ang anuman uri ng paninikil at pagmamaltrato sa Pinoy ng anumang international boxing body.

Sa naturang sulat, hiniling din ni Mitra kay Yasukochi na itigil ang itinakdang laban sa pagitan nina Japanese bantamweight boxers YukiStrong Kobayashi (14-7, 8 KO) at Keita Kurihara (12-5, 11KO) sa Osaka, Japan dahil ang OPBF title ni Yap ang itinaya.

Aprubado ni Yasukochi ang naturang laban.

 “May we (GAB) request for that OPBF title bout on December 24 to be stopped until this issue is finally settled,” pahayag ni Mitra.

Ngunit, nagtaingang-kawali ang Japanese official at itinuloy ang laban  na pinagwagihan ni Kurihara.

“Tayo naman sa GAB, hangga’t maari, sinusunod natin ang protocol. Medyo hindinaging maganda agn response sa request natin kaya, iaakyat natin sa WBC ang issue,” aniya.

Sa kanyang sagot sa sulat ni Mitra, sinabi ni Yasukochi na nasa kapangyarihan ng Japan Boxing Commission (JBC) si Yap matapos itong lunagda ng kontrata kay Japanese manager Edagawa  hanggang 2019.

 “Under the rules and regulations of Japan Boxing Commission, a boxer who has contract with Japanese manager will consider as a boxer belongs to Japan, regardless of his or her nationality, in this case with Mr. Yap who is Philippines national,” aniya.

 “Mark John Yap told Edagawa that he wishes to retire from boxing and left Japan. (in this case, it is not matching what Mark John Yap is saying)” So Japanese manager Edagawa then sign and submitted document which states that Mark John Yap will return the title to OPBF.

“As OPBF, we do not have any right to take position in between the manager and the boxer to solve any dispute, so as OPBF we wish both parties will discuss and come up with solution in sportsmanship manner.

“Mark John Yap has not said anything to Edagawa as of now. Therefore, we can not put Mark John Yap as champion,” ayon kay Yasokuchi.

Nakamit ni Yap (29-13, 14 KO’s) ang bakanteng OPBF Bantamweight championship nang pabagsakin sa ikalimang round si reigning OPBF champion Takahiro Yamamoto (21-6, 17 KO’s) noong November 2016 sa  Kobe, Japan.

Matagumpay na naidepensa ng Pinoy ang titulo laban kina Japanese bantamweight national champion Kentaro Masuda (27-9, 15 KO’s) noong Hulyo 2017 sa Osaka, Japan; Japanese challenger Seizo Kono (19-11-1, 12 KO’s) noong December at kontra Nippon warrior Takafumi Nakajima (29-11-1, 13 KO’s) noong April 2018 sa Tokyo.

Bunsod nito, nabigyan ng pagkakataon si Yap na lumaban sa WBC title eliminator kontra unbeaten Japanese rising star Takuma Inoue (12-0, 3 KO’s) noong September 2018 sa Tokyo.

Ngunit, ayon kay Mitra hindi nakataya ang OPBF title ni Yap sa naturang laban, kung kaya’t malabo ang isyu na pagbawi rito.

“Medyo kontrobersyal ang desisyon ng OPBF kaya we decided na hingin na rin ang panig ng WBC, “ pahayag ni Mitra.

-EDWIN ROLLON