Crack boxers may lose fat PSC allowances

London Olympian Mark Anthony Barriga and lightweight Charly Suarez are in danger of being stricken off the priority list of national athletes.

Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia said Monday that Barriga and Suarez are now considered professional boxers, having fought but lost their initial bouts in the Aiba Pro Boxing League last month.

“If they have already turned pro, we cannot give allowances to them anymore. They’re already fighting for money,” said Garcia.

The PSC has between 150 to 160 priority athletes under its payroll with SEAG gold medalists like Barriga and Suarez receiving monthly allowances of P40,000.

Barriga, a light flyweight who won a gold in the 2013 Southeast Asian Games in Burma (Myanmar), and the 26-year-old Suarez, champion in the 2011 SEAG in Indonesia, had signed a five-year contract with the APB, a move that didn’t sit well with Philippine Olympic Committee officials. Both boxers will also skip the SEAG this year in Singapore due to their commitment with the APB.

“They could be removed from the priority list. But we cannot just arbitrarily remove them because I want to make sure that the decision of the board will be correct,” said Garcia.

The Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (Abap) earlier said that the participation of Barriga and Suarez in the APB would increase their chances of qualifying in the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro.

“I’m surprised that they’ll be fighting [in the APB] for eight rounds while there are only three rounds in the Olympics,” said Garcia.

“How can the boxers make the adjustment? The training and conditioning are different,” he added.

Garcia was also upset when Abap didn’t notify the PSC on the status of both boxers.

“We’re not aware that they had already fought. There was no notice from Abap, they should have communicated with us,” said Garcia.