Presidents of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA)Affeeze Khan and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. A. Juman-Yassin Saturday night blamed the poor circumstances of Guyana’s Simon Pures for their inability to shine on the world’s stage.
“A lot of them don’t have jobs, and although they are young, a lot of them have children. A lot of them cannot eat properly.
“A lot of them may be in the ring boxing abroad, and may be thinking, whether their children have food at home,” Yassin said at the GABA’s award ceremony at Rahaman’s Park, on the Houston Public Road.
“Many times we see boxers in the ring in major fights and they are dressed as though they don’t have proper clothing but we hope to improve on this and other problems this year and I am very pleased to see that the boxers and coaches have already made a change this evening,” Khan added. Khan has vowed to improve the image of amateur boxing this year.
He said that the association had significantly benefited from the kindness and generosity of the business sector, adding that the associations owed it to those devoted sponsors not only to produce a good product in the ring but to improve the general image of the sport in terms of the general discipline and deportment of the boxers.
Yassin said that while Guyana had earned the reputation of being the “power house” of the Caribbean, the reason for the country’s boxers not being able to make the transition from regional success to international success was because of the inability of the local boxers to become “self sufficient.”
Yassin said that this problem was continuing to affect the development of boxers in Guyana since they were constantly distressing over their needs and inadequacies instead of focusing on progressing in the sport.
The GOA chief executive said since Guyanese boxers did not have the luxury of being maintained by the private sector as in the case of Cuba, the government, the local private sector and coaches should all go the extra mile to help them overcome their many adversities.
A possible solution, he said, would be to give boxing its own facility so that apart from having training sessions, the boxers would have a home where they could undergo some amount of personal development.
Aubrey Moore was the night’s top awardee. He was honoured for being the best boxer of the year (senior) and the most disciplined boxer, while Clive Atwell easily captured the most successful boxer of the year award for his unmatched bronze medal performance at last year’s Pan American Games.
The best boxer of the year starter award was given to Keron Thorn while Anthony Wilson was awarded the best U-15 boxer of the year.
The best junior boxer of the year award went to Dextor Gordon while Derek Richmond got the prize for the most improved boxer.
Romona Agard was doubly rewarded for her hard work during 2007 with the prize for most improved referee/judge and referee/judge with 100 percent attendance.
The best junior coach of the year of the year award went to James Walcott of the Harpy Eagles gym while best senior coach of the year award went to Terrence Poole of the Guyana Defence Force Gym.
