Organizers of amateur MMA fight card says safety standards and regulations for children fighters were followed
TOO ROUGH FOR BOYS?
“I can’t tolerate violence on children, even by other children, especially when sanctioned by a crowd of adults,” said Sebastian Lacson, COO of the Visayan Electric Company.
The first ever amateur Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight card in Cebu was a success, said organizers.
Another match for young MMA fighters is set on Aug. 30 as a tie-up with the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC) to launch the sport for barangay-based youths.
But the event last Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum dubbed Cebu Extreme Fight League: The Beginning touched off a controversy over the participation of young boys in the kids division, which disturbed several adults, who questioned why minors should participate in a “brutal sport”.
“I can’t tolerate violence on children, even by other children, especially when sanctioned by a crowd of adults,” said Sebastian Lacson, COO of the Visayan Electric Company.
This photo of nine-year-old Ken Caniga, (which appeared on page 1 of CDN’s August 18 issue), battering Benedict Torbiso in the Children’s division of the Cebu Extreme Fight League mixed martial arts event at the Cebu Coliseum received criticism from concerned citizens. (CDN FILE PHOTO)
He texted Cebu Daily News to react to the front page photo of the event in the paper’s Aug. 18 issue.
It showed two boys in the ring, one lying on the floor shielding his face from a forthcoming punch from 9-year-old Ken Caniga, who was eventually declared the winner via first-round technical knockout.
“The picture of 9-year-olds pummeling one another on your [front] cover is utterly disgusting to my standards. I feel that it should at least be condemned. But never celebrated. It makes us seem like savages. I’m terribly offended. When kids do dangerous things, I get sick to the core,” said Lacson, who has a grade-school son.
Some concerned citizens also cried foul on the lone kids division match that pitted YawYan ArDigma Cebu’s Caniga and Benedict Torbiso.
In the published photo, Caniga is seen preparing to strike Benedict Torbiso in the face. Caniga was able to throw three to five “guarded punches” that landed on the raised forearms of Torbiso.
SAFETY STANDARDS FOLLOWED
The referee, who was leaning over the two boys, seeing Caniga on full mount, sitting atop his rival, stopped the fight and awarded the TKO win to Caniga.
The promoter of the fight card, Master Benigno “Ekin” Caniga Jr., chief of YawYan ArDigma, said he was aware of the negative feedback of some spectators who were concerned about the children.
We don’t just let them fight, in fact our top priority was the kids’ safety. Before we let them fight, we had to get their parents’ permission. We did not let them fight for entertainment, we let them fight to showcase MMA to Cebuanos — Master Benigno “Ekin Caniga Jr. Chief of Yawyan ArDigma
He said MMA safety standards and regulations for both youth and adult fighters were strictly followed. All contenders wore protective head gear and underwent a medical examination before the event.
“We don’t just let them fight. in fact, our top priority was the kids’ safety. Before we let them fight, we had to get their parents permission. We did not let them fight for entertainment, we let them fight to showcase MMA to Cebuanos,” said Caniga. “I am just saddened that despite the effort we did to promote the great sport of MMA, there are still people who don’t appreciate the sport.”
He said they organized the event to showcase the discipline, techniques and skills being developed by kids who trained in the sport.
“We don’t just promote an event and let anyone fight. We spent months planning this. We weighed in all concerns before we held it,” he said.
On Aug. 30, Caniga and the CCSC headed by chairman Edward Hayco will tie up for the first ever “Bakbakan Sa Sugbo,” which will feature another amateur MMA fight card.
This event will highlight the launching of the sports commission’s new sports institute in barangay San Nicolas – Pasil.
The facility will be the center of Cebu City’s grassroots development program for MMA, boxing, karatedo, taekwondo, arnis and weightlifting.
Hayco declined to comment for now about Saturday’s match at the Cebu Coliseum. He said that his program with Caniga Jr. would further develop Cebuano children in MMA in the area of self discipline.
“This sport will surely develop discipline among the children. Instead of settling their differences in the street, they can settle it in the ring through this sport. In that way, children learn to respect each other,” Hayco told CDN.
Hayco said the Bakbakan sa Sugbo will feature children 11 years to 15 years old in the amateur fight card.
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