GAB WANTS TO RECOVER LORETO'S UNPAID P2M PURSE

GAB Chairman Abraham Kahlil Mitra (left) with international promoter Lui Gang of China, who is now the promoter of former world champion Rey Loreto of Highland Boxing Gym. (Photo by BRICO SANTIG)

THE Games and Amusements Board (GAB) also still wants to recover the unpaid P2 million purse of former world champion Rey “Hitman” Loreto from the promoter of South Africa.
“We will still go out of our way for it to be settled,” said GAB Chairman Abraham Kahlil “Baham” Mitra.
Mitra said that GAB is “still waiting for the full submission of documents before” they will “formally make presentations with the different government agencies and embassies concerned.”
He is grateful that the matter has been brought to their attention right after their consultation with the Mindanao stakeholders.
“It means that we are now more reachable,” said Mitra, who thanked the persons concerned for letting GAB know about.
“Rest assured we’ll do our best to recover this and avoid any similar instances in the future,” said Mitra.
Loreto is also still hoping to receive his unpaid purse from the promoter after two long years.
The 26-year old Loreto retained his International Boxing Organization (IBO) world light flyweight title by stopping Nkosinathi Joyi via a technical knockout in 1:46 of the first round at the Mdantsane Indoor Centre in Mdantsane, Eastern Cape, South Africa on March 22, 2015.
Loreto, however, came back home to the Philippines without his purse worth P2 million.
His trainer Joven “JJ” Jorda of Highlands Boxing Gym from La Trinidad, Benguet supposedly did not allowed Loreto to fight after the South African boxing promoter did not gave them the purse first before the fight.
But Emmanuel Pinol, who accompanied them assured Loreto and Jorda that promoter Sepatho Handi will pay them later after the fight.
Pinol, however, did not received the payment and has already filed a case against the promoter a few months after the fight.
Loreto’s manager Brico Santig of Highland Boxing Gym has even already waived his share as a manager.
Meanwhile, Loreto (23-13-0, 15 KOs), who is currently ranked World Boxing Association (WBA) No. 1, World Boxing Council (WBC) No. 3 and the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) No. 1 contender has already been ordered to challenge the undisputed World Boxing Association (WBA) minimumweight champion Thammanoon Niyomtrong (Knockout CP Freshmart) of Thailand in a mandatory fight.
Niyomtrong, 26, is undefeated with 15 straight wins with seven knockouts.
Negotiations will start soon with the possibility of staging it in the Philippines, Thailand or China.