Limpag: Amend, not ban

The various national sports associations (NSAs) that would have been affected by the proposed bill that seeks to ban minors from full contact sports have expressed their opposition to the bill filed by Reps. Alfredo Garbin and Elizaldy Co.

The proposed bill seeks to ban minors from full contact combat sports like--taekwondo, muay thai, karate, boxing, judo, pencak silat, arnis--until they are 18 years old and had it passed, it would have derailed grassroots development among the sports. I mean taekwondo has made a lot of strides in the last couple of decades, with us coming close to winning an Olympic medal in 2004 when then 16-year-old Mary Antoinette Rivero came close in Athens.

Had there been such a bill in place before, we won’t be having teen Olympians.

With such opposition, I don’t think the bill will be passed but I do agree with Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William Ramirez when he said that the bill needs to be amended and that it serves as a wakeup call.

While I don’t agree with an outright ban, I do agree that some safeguards have to be put in place and let’s face it, safety guidelines across all martial arts-based sports all over the country are not the same. I hope, that instead of a ban, the bill will instead seek to impose minimum safety standards for all martial arts-based competition in a way the IATF has set minimum safety guidelines during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ramirez also said that most of the national sports associations for combat sports don’t have a genuine grassroots program and I agree. I think it’s only taekwondo that has a genuine program, while the rest have “pockets of programs” based in some LGUs, like arnis in Cebu for instance. The various NSAs’ uproar over the bill should prod them to put up their own development program all over the country.

That’s what I meant by the bill being a wakeup call.

I mean, if I was with the side defending the proposed bill, all I have to say to counter those that claim the bill will stop grassroots development is ask, “What grassroots development?”

At least taekwondo can claim one and as a result, the sport has contributed medals consistently in international campaigns.

And the PSC chairman has graciously given the combat sports NSAs an opening, thanks to discussions regarding the bill. He is encouraging the other NSAs to coordinate with the PSC, Department of Education and Department of the Interior and Local Government for their grassroots programs, one I hope that would also address safety concerns.

I hope the NSAs will take the hint.