MANILA, Philippines - It’s all fair and square in amateur boxing these days.
The assurance, like a whiff of fresh air, was made by Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, the president of the International Amateur Boxing Association or AIBA, during his recent visit to the Philippines.
The AIBA chief said under his watch, there’s just no room for cheats in amateur boxing, which for so many years was considered the red-light district of sports. He said those days are over.
“I have the determination. As (AIBA) president, I guarantee that tournaments will be clean and transparent,” said the architect from Taiwan who was in town to grace the MVP International Friendship Cup at the PICC Forum.
The tournament attracted boxers from seven countries, and the Philippines reigned supreme, winning eight of the 12 gold medals disputed. Thailand, a perennial powerhouse, went home with four.
The AIBA president said the house-cleaning continues within the association, and since he took over the presidency in 2006, he had thrown the book on erring boxing officials whom he did not identify.
“I have suspended three vice presidents, a secretary-general, and several high-ranking officials who were caught trying to manipulate competition,” said Wu, a self-confessed basketball fan.
He vowed to put an end to all insinuations that gold medals in amateur boxing, specially in the Olympics, can be requested even before the competition begins.
Wu added that it’s time for the countries which have yet to win the gold in the Olympics to strive harder, knowing that their efforts will not go to waste due to biased, questionable officiating.
But Wu said boxers will have to work hard for the victory.
“Hopefully, your country, if the boxers are hardworking, maybe you will also have a fair chance in London during the 2012 Olympic Games. But the only secret is practice, practice, and training, training.