BE unbiased, objective, and learn to work and cooperate with politicians and lawmakers.
This was the advice that outgoing Games and Amusements Board Chairman Baham Mitra yesterday gave to whoever would be his successor during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum.
“When I came to the Games and Amusements Board, I had no vested interests and was objective and unbiased in all of our policies and decisions,” said Mitra, who is credited for opening the door to scores of sports leagues that wanted to turn professional, opening the way for hundreds to gain jobs, amid the pandemic.
Among those the hardworking GAB chief issued pro licenses to were the VisMin Super Cup, NBL, Filbasket and MPBL in basketball, PCAP in chess, PFL in football and PVL in volleyball, among others.
Mitra, whose agency was cited by the World Boxing Council twice as Commission of the Year, also initiated positive moves in pro boxing and was able to have pro boxers obtain CT scans and check-ups for free as well as providing portable CT scans for free use in pro combat sports.
“What I also learned is that being in the GAB, you should also learn to cooperate and work well with our lawmakers and politicians if we want to do more in strengthening the agency,” the son of the late House speaker and veteran Palawan politician Ramon Mitra said.
Mitra said his one regret was that the GAB failed to set up a pension fund for retired pro boxers in the public sports program backed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. San Miguel Corp., Milo, Smart, Philippine Olympic Committee, PSC and Amelie Hotel.
