GAB official hails team Casimero for keeping cool despite mauling

GAMES and Amusements Board (GAB) Commissioner Aquil Tamano believes that boxer Jhonriel Casimero and his team acted in the highest decency and should be commended following their victory in Argentina this weekend.

“Yes, we should do that…Will relate it to the Board immediately,” stated Tamano when told of suggestions to give Casimero, his promoter Sammy Gello-ani and trainer Christopher Tepura a special GAB citation for acting in the highest order and representing the Filipinos very well in that bout which saw some Argentinians trying to maul Casimero and his team.

The GAB, through the leadership of its Chairman Monju Guanzon, has already communicated with its counterpart in the Argentinian Boxing Federation to conduct an investigation into what happened after the fight.

Casimero stopped Luis Alberto Lazarte in the tenth round of their scheduled 12-rounder to take the interim IBF light flyweight title in Mar de Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Bottles, mono block chairs and other objects started to fly right after the bout, before a number of Lazarte fans and followers jumped into the ring and started punching Casimero, Gello-ani and trainer Tepura.

Casimero and his handlers, however, managed to retreat into safer parts of the Club Once Unidos to avoid the highly-emotional and irate Lazarte fans.

“Lazarte is their idol. I understand their situation because Lazarte lost. I have forgiven them,” Casimero told the Philippine media after his arrival yesterday.

The new boxing champion then proceeded to his hometown in Ormoc City to attend the burial of his younger brother who died of a heart ailment a day before he left for Argentina. /correspondent Salven Lagumbay