ONE YEAR AFTER, HAS ANYTHING CHANGED?
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 11 Feb 2013
Maquinto.
One year ago, one of the darkest days of Philippine boxing occurred. Twenty one year old bright prospect Karlo Maquinto succumbed to injuries he suffered in the ring after an eight round bout in Manila. Maquinto's unexpected demise was mourned by many who follow boxing in this country. It also opened our eyes to the inadequacies that abound in Philippine boxing.
The lack of supplies needed to provide basic medical aid like oxygen, a spinal board and a cervical collar during that fateful night is evident. The lack of training of those who attended to him is even more appalling. Maquinto was dragged to a stretcher without any stabilizing efforts from the paramedics during that Saturday night fight in Caloocan, City.
A congressional hearing followed, which is the norm in the Philippines after a tragic event of any kind.
The Philippine House of Representatives Committee on Games and Amusements conducted hearings on Maquinto's death, the protocols ignored or overlooked that night and the norm of practice of the sport's governing body, the Games and Amusement Board or the GAB.
The GAB is now taking precautionary measures on boxers such as a mandatory rest period between fights, forty five days in between them. And if a boxer suffered a knock down or a TKO, the said boxer will have to refrain from action for 90 days, similar to most rules followed in various athletic commissions in the United States.
Medical personnel is on standby, ready to come to aid to a fallen warrior of the ring. But my question is? How qualified are them to handle cases of trauma, especially of that to the head? Are they certified to do so? Did they or are they undergoing necessary training if and when they encounter such cases?
The GAB does not oversee the assignment of paramedics at boxing venues in the country. It is the event's promoter who handles this responsibility. And sometimes, a promoter will have the local government "sponsor" the choosing, placement and payment of medical personnel at ringside. It is here where the question of accountability, of qualifications and of adequacy arises.
And the congressional hearings did nothing to change anything for the past year. There were no bills passed that were to ensure the safety of our athletes. Talks of introducing a bill that would introduce an insurance and pension system to our boxers are just that, talks.
How many times did we hear the phrase "in aid of legislation" on committee hearings? This congressional inquiry is an example of such. This was a mere knee-jerk reaction to a tragic occurrence by our lawmakers which produced no concrete remedy on their part.
They could have instilled a simple bill that would mandate the safety of our athletes, boxers in this instance. A reduced fee on their medical tests is a start, tests such as CT scans and MRI's. And how about mandating the GAB to hire a permanent group of trained paramedics that will be assigned on events? This will ensure that they are capable of responding to any medical emergencies during the staging of any sporting events.
And how about effecting changes at the GAB? A source tells me that the wrapping of hands before and after a fight is not being monitored religiously by a qualified GAB official. This is a serious loophole that will potentially cause injury and death to our boxers.
And with the hot topic of steroids and Performance Enhancing Drugs (PED's) in most sports, does the GAB even conduct tests for banned substances for participants of any event? I seriously doubt it.
These are simple ingredients to a simple legislative bill to file right? But there were none passed!
Karlo was not the only one. Jog Alim, another 21 year old boxer also died last year after his stint in the ring last June. And an amateur boxer, 18 year old Romnick Dablo lapsed into coma and died after participating in an amateur tournament in Zambales, a province north of Manila in May of last year.
They did not attain the promise of a better life that attracted them to the sport. Their young lives cut short by the dangers of the sport. These are dangers that can be lessened if only changes can be implemented to the conduct of the sport that we love.
One year has passed since Karlo died, and Philippine boxing still cries for change.
You can reach the author at rrmaze24@aol.com.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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