KORONADAL CITY, Philippines — The family of former World Boxing Council youth flyweight titleholder Angelito “Lito” Sisnorio Jr. wants justice for the fallen boxer.
“We appeal to President (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo to order authorities to run after his manager and game promoters. It’s difficult to locate the Japanese promoter in Tokyo. He’s responsible for the death of my son,” Consuelo Sisnorio, 60, the boxer’s mother, said in an interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Tuesday.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer, citing a source close to the Games and Amusement Board, reported that Sisnorio apparently “sneaked out of the country without getting a clearance” from the professional regulating sports body, which issues permits for fighters.
Gerry, the boxer’s brother and the family’s spokesperson, said Koronadal Mayor Fernando Miguel went to Manila on Monday to arrange for the transfer of Lito’s body from Thailand.
“All we want right now is to get his body so we could give him a hero’s burial,” Gerry said.
Sisnorio died of bleeding in the brain in a Thailand hospital on Saturday after being knocked out the previous night by former Thai world champion Chatchai Sasakul.
“Lito promised to return this April for a long vacation to fulfill a promise,” Consuelo said.
The promise was for him to help the family build a new house and start a small business.
“He wanted the family to start our own business,” Consuelo said. “Our son, as far as we’re concerned, died for our future,” she added.
Consuelo said she would have her son’s wake and burial at the family’s small coffee and banana farm — where he started his dreams.
“Right now our focus is on the investigation. All we want right now is speedy justice. We believe someone should go to jail,” she said.
Sisnorio was the first boxer in the history of Philippine boxing who died in a fight. He died from serious head injuries sustained during a bout against Sasakul on March 30 in Bangkok.
The GAB has a rule that states a fighter should have one win in his last three fights before he is allowed to fight abroad. Sisnorio had posted one win in his last three bouts.
But according to an Inquirer source, the GAB would most probably not have issued a clearance for Sisnorio, because he had just come off a brutal seventh-round technical knockout loss to record-breaking Thai flyweight Pongsaklek Wongjongkam two months ago.
