GAB aims to help pro boxers and MMA fighters amid COVID-19

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) is currently seeking financial help for PH’s professional boxers and Mixed Martial Arts practitioners whose bouts were all postponed or cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

GAB chairman, Abraham Mitra, is now arranging the best possible scenarios so that these prized athletes can receive cash incentives from the government’s social amelioration program.

The rise of patients testing positive for COVID-19 forced most of the big sporting bodies to cancel their respective events.

To help sustain these fighters’ expenses for their training, Mitra wrote a letter to the Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Belo III and Department of Social Welfare Development Secretary Rolando Joselito Bautista in line with the financial assistance for the athletes.

These individuals are unable to exercise their profession due to the imposed community quarantine and hence are devoid of a source of income,” said Mitra in a statement.

By the numbers, 805 boxers, 157 boxing trainers, 79 MMA fighters, 48 MMA trainers, 32 Muay Thai fighters and 12 Muay Thai trainers are currently affected.