by Waylon Galvez
GAB Chief Baham MitraIf he had his way, Games and Amusement (GAB) chief Baham Mitra would prefer to see defending junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas face a boxer from another country than fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan.
“Kung pwede sana, na-avoid,” said Mitra in a dinner with several sportswriters Tuesday night in Makati City. “For me it's disheartening. We don't encourage a Filipino to fight another Filipino.”
“Sana nasa WBO or WBC yung isa. Kaso no. 1 challenger si Jonas sa IBF. Hindi na natin mapipigilan. I don't think we can stop the fight. Kaka-schedule na,” he added.
Ancajas, who captured the IBF junior bantamweight title against McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico back in 2016, will be defending the title for the fifth time on May 26 against Sultan in Las Vegas.
Regardless, the former Palawan governor and congressman of the province's second district still thinks that the Ancajas and Sultan showdown will be interesting for boxing fans.
“I think it's going to bring out the best in them,” said Mitra, who also mentioned that he will not go to Las Vegas to watch the fight.
GAB Chief Baham MitraIf he had his way, Games and Amusement (GAB) chief Baham Mitra would prefer to see defending junior bantamweight champion Jerwin Ancajas face a boxer from another country than fellow Filipino Jonas Sultan.
“Kung pwede sana, na-avoid,” said Mitra in a dinner with several sportswriters Tuesday night in Makati City. “For me it's disheartening. We don't encourage a Filipino to fight another Filipino.”
“Sana nasa WBO or WBC yung isa. Kaso no. 1 challenger si Jonas sa IBF. Hindi na natin mapipigilan. I don't think we can stop the fight. Kaka-schedule na,” he added.
Ancajas, who captured the IBF junior bantamweight title against McJoe Arroyo of Puerto Rico back in 2016, will be defending the title for the fifth time on May 26 against Sultan in Las Vegas.
Regardless, the former Palawan governor and congressman of the province's second district still thinks that the Ancajas and Sultan showdown will be interesting for boxing fans.
“I think it's going to bring out the best in them,” said Mitra, who also mentioned that he will not go to Las Vegas to watch the fight.