MANILA, Philippines—Kobe Bryant and other millionaire superstars powered the United States to early victories in basketball. Swiss maestro Roger Federer thrilled crowds with his silky forehand. And Spanish star Rafael Nadal banked on his boundless energy to sweep to within one victory of the tennis gold.

So the big question: If these pros were allowed to represent their countries in the Beijing Games, why wasn’t Manny Pacquiao given a chance to pummel opponents into indistinguishable lumps and hand the Philippines its first Olympic gold medal?

It’s only wishful wondering, but in the light of the early defeat of Harry Tañamor at the hands of a relatively unknown African brawler Manyo Plange, it deserves an answer. And the answer is simple.

The International Amateur Boxing Federation, which goes by the acronym AIBA, doesn’t allow it.

“It’s two different rules,” said former Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso “Cito” Dayrit, a leading authority on Olympism in the country. “Besides, the AIBA governs only amateur boxers. It doesn’t have a hold on professionals, who are under the wings of different organizations in pro boxing.”

As a rule, international sports federations are given the power to decide on whether or not professionals of their discipline can compete in the Olympics, a decision the International Olympic Committee (IOC) respects.

“The international federations are the ones who accredit athletes in the Olympics and the IOC respects that authority,” explained Dayrit, the only Filipino recognized by the IOC as an international course director for the Olympic movement. “The IOC cannot impose its rule on the international federations.”

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in 1988 allowed professionals to compete in its international meets, including the Olympics.

Originally, the acronym of FIBA, which was formed in 1932, stood for Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur. But the word amateur was dropped in 1989 following the rule change. It was this decision that allowed NBA players to play in the Olympics starting in Barcelona in 1992, when Michael Jordan led the original “Dream Team” to a rout of the opposition.

That decision ran in conjunction with the IOC grand plan at that time—“The Olympics would be represented by the best players in the world and won’t be reduced to a second-rate event,” said Dayrit

At about that time, the IOC had already removed the amateurism provision from the Olympic charter, he added.

As far as the IOC is concerned, there is no longer a line separating amateurs from professionals.

The International Football Federation (FIFA) did not completely bow to the IOC’s wishes, allowing only professionals under 23 to play in the Olympics while giving countries the benefit of picking three players beyond that age limit to represent their countries.

The FIFA’s decision was a business one.

The group, Dayrit said, wanted to preserve the exclusivity and the prestige of its World Cup, which runs once every four years. The compromise allowed a truce to be forged between the IOC and the Fifa.

And truce between the IOC and its international federations is important.

Baseball, which hasn’t found any compromise at all and failed to draw Major League stars to the Olympics, has been stripped out of the Olympic calendar largely for that reason. The Major League calendar conflicts with the summer Olympics’ schedule. Baseball will no longer be part of the Olympics after Beijing.

The IOC, though, cannot flex the same muscles against the Aiba because of professional boxing’s independence from the amateur boxing body.

Besides, amateur boxing and professional boxing are two different animals altogether.

According to the AIBA website (www.aiba.org), the AIBA Articles of Association and the AIBA Rules for international competition and tournaments are very clear on eligibility.

Article XVIII says that for a boxer to be eligible to compete in AIBA boxing, such a person should not have boxed with or against a professional boxer for a money prize or in an open competition.

“Pros and amateurs are governed by different set of rules,” said Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines president Manny Lopez. “Amateur fights are four-rounders and safety is the premium consideration. It’s about winning bouts on points by making clear hits and not knockouts. Remember also that amateurs wear protective helmets to absorb the power of head blows.”

So while amateurs turn professionals after their Olympic tour of duty—think of Muhammad Ali, Lennox Lewis, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wladimir Klitschko, Oscar de la Hoya and Amir Khan—going the other way around is impossible.

Thus, the Philippines, famous in the sporting world because of someone who could ultimately end up as one of the greatest fighters of all time, is stuck with nothing shinier than two Olympic silver medals in boxing.

Mansueto “Onyok” Velasco won the silver medal in the 1996 Atlanta edition while Anthony Villanueva placed second in the 1964 Tokyo Games.

‘Pure athletes’ no more

When it was founded in 1894, the modern Olympics were restricted to amateurs, the so-called “pure athletes” who did not get paid for engaging in competitive sports.

The amateurism principle had been protected and observed for several years until the International Olympic Committee realized that the restriction was inconsistent with its motto “Citius-Altius-Fortius” (Latin for Faster-Higher-Stronger), which promoted excellence and being the best in one’s chosen field, said Celso Dayrit, former head of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

The IOC relaxed its rules in the 1980s and gave international sports federations the authority to decide who can compete in Olympic events.

In 1988, the International Basketball Federation allowed professional basketball players to join the Olympics.

National Basketball Association players first participated in the Olympics in 1992. Other sports federations did the same.

However, the international boxing association continues to restrict participation in the Olympics to amateur boxers.

Amateur boxing is fought and scored differently from professional boxing, Dayrit points out. With a report from Cyril L. Bonabente, Inquirer Research