The first monthly disbursement of the $25,000 stipends was distributed to six elite amateur boxers yesterday.
During a simple handing over ceremony at the Ministry of Sport in the presence of media operatives, 2011 Junior Sportsman of the Year, Imran Khan, Stephon Gouveia, Ron Smith, Eon Bancroft, Dennis Thomas and lone female, Theresa London received cheques as well as vouchers from Bakewell to aid in their sustenance.
The disbursement of funds which will be paid by the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) 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 maximising the chances of selected boxers to mirror Mike Parris’ achievement in 1980 by medalling at the Olympic Games.
Parris copped a bronze medal at the Moscow Olympic Games, Guyana’s lone Olympic medal to date.
“It is a small but significant step towards our possible participation at the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil,” said President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle. “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 these 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. I do hope this can form a catalyst for greater things to come,” Ninvalle added.
The GBA president also stated, “We plan in the near future to include more boxers once we get the support from corporate Guyana and other entities.”
When asked where the GOA was receiving funds from to pay the stipends, President of the GOA, K A Juman-Yassin intimated that through the Olympic Association’s discretion, they saw it fit to utilise some of the funds received by international sporting bodies to the help the Simon Pures.
Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan revealed that the pugilists have steadily improved over the past few months and are more committed to training.
“The training is coming really good. They have improved technically, tactically and physically,” Roldan said.
“Right now the level they are at is vastly improved from where it was a couple months ago and they seem more happy and enthusiastic since they heard about the stipends.”
The boxers mentioned that the stipends will be used to aid with their personal as well as household expenses.
After the handing over of the cheques and vouchers, Roldan; Technical Director of GBA Terrence Poole, and GBA’s vice president and assistant secretary, Gordon Nedd and Kesa Chase convened to shortlist a team to compete in two tournaments in Cuba next month (Cardina Carova from June 4 to 11 and the Robert Balado from June 16 to 22). The names of the selected boxers will be disclosed in a subsequent article.
