By Ronnie Nathanielsz
The Mexican Amateur Boxing Alliance president Ricardo Contreras, in a condemnable action, has prevented Olympic hopeful Elias Emigdio from receiving a medal and best wishes from the World Boxing Council and several current and former world champions at a ceremony in the city of Naucalpan which is located just northwest of Mexico City.
The Naucalpan Municipality kindly invited the World Boxing Council to attend a farewell card in honor of Elias Emigdio, who has earned the opportunity to participate at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio - but due to regrettable intervention of AIBA’s Mexican president Ricardo Contreras, Emigdio was forbidden to receive the medal and the best wishes.
World Boxing Council president Mauricio Sulaiman said - “This embarrassing chapter only proves once again, the sad path and unfortunate course amateur boxing is on in Mexico, and has followed during the last years. This sad attitude from the Amateur Boxing Federation in Mexico reflects the common behavior of some International Federations spanning the World.
However, and despite this negativity, the World Boxing Council said it wishes “the very best of luck and success to Elias Emigdio, who will be proudly representing Mexico in this very important competition, on a World stage.”
The international federation AIBA headed by D r. Wu of Chinese-Taipei has been trying desperately to recruit professional boxers to compete in the Olympic Games in Rio this year, but they have come under fire from the leading pro boxing organizations in the world, several current and former world champions and various boxing organizations.
Dr. Wu’s plan will require an amendment to the AIBA Constitution and he has called a gathering in May to try and amend the Constitution and bylaws which would allow pros to fight in the Olympics, but bar them from competing in fights under the umbrella of the WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO and other boxing organizations while pro boxers who decline to fight in the elimination tournaments - which lead to the Olympics - will be barred from ever entering the Olympic games.
