What’s the difference between amateur and pro athletes and the distinction between pro and amateur competitions?
The Philippine Sports Commission and Games Amusements Board aim to settle and answer these issues once and for all by signing a joint resolution last Oct. 16 drawing the line between professional and amateur athletes and pro and amateur leagues.
“This resolution was done on the initiative of PSC chairman Butch Ramirez in defining amateur and professional athletes and competitions,” GAB chairman Baham Mitra said.
While the GAB is the government regulatory body over pro athletes and leagues, the PSC is the government agency that has overall oversight over amateur athletes and competitions.
“This joint resolution fulfills a very long felt need in sports community–If an athlete gets paid and does not play for the flag, then he or she is a professional athlete,” added Mitra of the ground rules laid down by both agencies.
The resolution noted that there was a need to define terms such as “professional athlete” and “professional sports or competition” so that both agencies can both can “effectively and perform their respective functions in the supervision and regulation of the sports and games in the country.”
