TECHNICAL Director of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) and former amateur boxer-cum-coach Terrence Poole has placed himself head and shoulders above the list of coaches in Guyana, after qualifying as the country’s first and lone Three Star International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) coach.

Poole, who is one of few in the Caribbean and the only in Guyana to reach such a level in coaching, did so during the World Championships in October and yesterday explained the importance of the accomplishment during a press briefing at the Ministry of Sport head office.
“This is an honour for me having this certificate, this piece of document is so important to me, my family and the entire boxing fraternity of Guyana. In any endeavour one tries to achieve the maximum or pinnacle and as a boxer I was not fortunate to reach the pinnacle so I turned to coaching and this is the pinnacle in coaching at present.
“Three stars is the highest level of coaching they have worldwide by AIBA,” said Poole, who was later congratulated by GBA president Steve Ninvalle, who also noted the importance of the achievement.
“Mr Poole went to Kazakhstan in October and he was successful in the Three Star competition that was run by AIBA and he is the only three-star coach in Guyana. We (GBA) are extremely proud and extremely happy that Mr Poole could have gone and done Guyana proud by being successful at the examination.
This basically means as AIBA has stipulated or mandated, that we must have a Three Star coach, so you cannot send a team to certain AIBA competitions without being accompanied by a Three Star AIBA coach,” Ninvalle explained.
Further Poole outlined his immediate goal after achieving the historic feat.
“My goal and the only way this certificate could show well, yes, I achieved the fullest, I must be able to have someone qualify for the next Olympics or even go on and win a medal. The certificate is just paper but this now is production. I need to have someone qualify by any means for the coming Olympics which is in 2016.”
Meanwhile, Ninvalle thanked Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Sport Alfred King for ensuring that the trip came off while Poole was quick to thank the Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Brigadier Mark Phillips, the former Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Gary Best and the GBA for allowing him to achieve his new credentials.