The good name of the Philippines in international boxing has once again been tarnished by another scandal involving an impostor, forcing the Asian Boxing Council to undertake an investigation into the incident.
Initial findings based on a videotape of the fight showed that retired boxer Joel Avila posed as Tata Polinar in an ABC super flyweight title fight and was knocked out in the fifth round by Medgoen Singsurat (3K Battery) last May 27 in Saraburi, Thailand.
Games and Amusements Board boxing division chief Noli Flores attempted to wash his hands off the latest anomaly, claiming the GAB had no way of stopping fighters from leaving to fight in Thailand since there were no visa requirements.
Flores said, however, he would “write to those involved” to give their side even as Polinar’s manager Yolly Alfante was furious and threatened to sue everybody involved.
The anomaly was unearthed by Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today after Japanese matchmaker and journalist Joe Koizumi reported that Polinar was scheduled to fight Manabu Fukushima on June 4 in Tokyo and was training in Cebu when the fight took place in Thailand.
World Boxing Council official and Bangkok Post columnist Edward Thangarajah claimed that Thai matchmaker Panya Prachakorn showed him a photocopy of Polinar’s passport and claimed it was indeed Polinar, who fought Medgoen.
However, a tape of the fight showed it was not Polinar but Avila who had retired three years ago and had no GAB license.
The scandal has forced the ABC to conduct an investigation.
General Chira Navisathira and well-known WBC referee Anek Hongthongkam, who spoke to Panya claimed that Filipino matchmaker Benny dela Pe?a had “offered” Polinar to fight Medgoen for the title.
Panya alleged that when the Filipinos arrived in Bangkok, he checked the fighter’s passport, which he claimed indicated the name Romeo Balaba Polinar, who used the ring name Tata Polinar. Panya also claimed he trusted Dela Pe?a because “there was no reason to fake any boxer to be a lower-class fighter like Tata Polinar.”
The Thai matchmaker said he had tried to contact Dela Pe?a after the racket was exposed but has so far been unable to reach him.
Viva Sports/Standard Today earlier spoke to Thangarajah who revealed that Panya had shown him a photocopy of Polinar’s passport and not the passport itself.
The manager of Polinar as well as Koizumi indicated there was no way Panya could have seen the passport since it was with Polinar who was scheduled to leave for Tokyo for his June 4 bout.
