Six amateur pugilists signed protocols to receive monthly stipends yesterday at the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) building.
The Simon Pures, Imran Khan, Stephon Gouveia, Ron Smith, Eon Bancroft, Lennox Thomas and lone female, Theresa London inked contracts to receive monthly stipends of $25,000 beginning from May 1.
The disbursement of funds to the named six boxers will continue until July 31, next year but the payment of stipends to amateur boxers will carry on until the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
The move is geared towards maximizing the chances of selected boxers to medal at the Olympic Games.
“What we did today is very historic,” said president of GOA, K.Juman Yassin.
“We will be assisting these amateur boxers with stipends and we hope it galvanizes to other sports.”
Yassin added:“Apart from the stipends that we are giving now, Bakewell has agreed to give bread to the boxers every other day and I have other stakeholders who should chip in and once they do that we will be able to prepare a hamper for the boxers so hopefully at the end of the month when everything is totaled up you will be getting maybe 40-$50,000 in money and in hampers.”
“The GBA sees this as a significant step towards the development of amateur boxing in this country, for a long time we have been clamouring for such support and I thank Mr. Yassin,” said GABA president Steve Ninvalle.
Asked if more lucrative stipend could not have been given to the boxers, Yassin replied: “Certainly I know for a fact they deserve more but this is a start, but for now this is the best we can do but I say again this is just the beginning.”
“It is a small but significant step towards our possible participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil, it is very important for fighters to be comfortable and if we have to demand medals from them then we have to put measures in place to allow them to win medals.
“People may want to think this stipend is small but you boxers stand a chance at maybe making more than some professional boxers make in the ring because at the end of 12 months you will be having in cash $300,000 and I reiterate I think it’s a very important step for amateur boxing in Guyana and I do hope this can form as a catalyst for greater things to come,” Ninvalle added.
