Olympic Boxing: AIBA throws out Barriga protest

AIBA has thrown out the protest by the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines on the loss of Filipino light-flyweight boxer Mark Anthony Barriga Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov.

“The protest was rejected,” ABAP executive director Ed Picson, adding that the reply from boxing officials said that the “protest was too subjective to review.”

“What that means, I really don’t know,” added Picson.

The Philippines’ lone boxing hope in London lost the match, 17-16, after getting penalized for ducking and headbutting in the third round of the fight. That gave the Kazakh two extra points, making up the difference in the result. The loss signalled the end of Barriga’s Olympic campaign.

AIBA did not review tape of fight, in which the Kazakh fighter wrestled the Filipino fighter to the ground twice early before Barriga without any reaction from Labbe.

Picson said Barriga was not visibly distraught after the loss.

“Mark is a very strong boy, he can take his licks, so he is taking it well,” said Picson. “But I’m sure he’s very disappointed, just like everyone here.”

******

Controversial call by referee costs Barriga match

It was a controversial call by referee Roland Labbe of Canada in the third round that cost Filipino light-flyweight Mark Anthony Barriga his fight against Kazakhstan’s Birzhan Zhakypov.

Labbe called Barriga for a warning for ducking and head-butting, costing the Philippines’ lone boxing hope two points. Those ended up being the difference between winning and losing for the 19-year-old Barriga, who lost by a single point, 17-16.

“We felt the referee was a little too quick on the draw on the warning, because the Kazakh was already wrestling Mark to the ground,” ABAP executive director Ed Picson told Barriga after the match.

Barriga was leading the fight, 10-8, heading into the third round, when Zhakypov became visibly more aggressive. He wrestled the Filipino fighter to the ground twice early before Barriga without any reaction from Labbe.

“And when the referee finally gave a deduction [for wrestling], it went both ways,” said Picson.

“But that’s the referee’s prerogative. It was a judgment call, I don’t necessarily agree with it.”

by InterAKTV | interaksyon.com

Source: InterAKTV | interaksyon.com