THE story of Clive “The Punisher” Atwell is one that Guyanese are very familiar with.

On October 24, 2015, his fight for a championship belt turned into a fight for his life.Atwell, then 18 days away from his next birthday, was on his way to winning the Central American Boxing Federation (FECARBOX) belt over Trinidad and Tobago’s Dexter Gonsalves at the Giftland Mall when, in the ninth round, his dream was shattered.
He was floored by an injury to the head, an injury that would later be diagnosed as subdural hematomas haemorrhaging, or simply put, bleeding to the head.

DEATH WISH
That night, in hospital, his life was saved, but in the months that followed, Atwell wished for death.
In the world of sport, injuries come with the territory, especially in sports such as basketball, cricket, football and boxing; sprained ankles, sprained fingers and concussions are as common as dogs walking barefoot.
Yet, there is no comprehensive health care plan for athletes to be treated effectively, much less be covered financially until they get back on their feet.
The reality is that an injury can be sustained in training or in a game or match, and the lack of facilities or even the lack of money to pay for treatment could mean the end of careers, lifelong disabilities, or, in the worst case, it could mean the end of life.
“I’ll never forget what I went through,” Atwell said during a recent interview with the Guyana Chronicle. It is easy to tell that his was not an easy experience.
“One moment you’re on top of the world, doing what you love, and the next minute you’re told that you can never box again and do what you love,” he said.
When he was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital, an emergency surgery by Dr Amarnauth Dukhi saved his life.
However, Dhuki instructed Atwell to get a plastic reconstruction surgery within six months to insert a plate in his skull to cover his brain.
For this second surgery, Atwell had to raise over G$5M to get to the United States, as the surgery could not be done locally.
PUBLIC HEALTHCARE
Even if complicated surgeries could be done at the Georgetown Public Hospital, a major deterrent is the amount of time a person has to wait before receiving attention.
“The public healthcare system is taxing,” Dr Dukhi said.
“Everyone wants to be treated immediately, regardless of whether their injuries are mild, moderate or severe,” he added.
Dr Dukhi’s recommendation is that “every high-intensity contact sport should have an associate medical officer readily available to deal with an athlete’s injury, regardless of if it is mild, moderate or severe.”
He said the sport federations should have designated hospitals for which they show a colour card, and are given treatment so as to avoid the issue of waiting and unavailability of facilities.
Dukhi also suggests that athletes should be in programmes which ensure that they are physically healthy and free from all injuries before competing and training. The function of federations is to ensure high-intensity training is undergone by athletes in preparing for a competition.
While training, some athletes are also sent to undergo physiotherapy at the Public Hospital if the need arises. One such instance was in the case of Nathan Saul, who played basketball for Guyana and was injured during the training.

Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) as well as the Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) ensured that Saul received physiotherapy for his injured knee. But Dr. Dhuki stated that the physical tests athletes undergo before being cleared for competitions is miniscule.
The problem, however, does not end here.
At this point, Guyana has no health insurance policy which caters specifically for athletes. Dhuki is of the opinion that having a health insurance system would guarantee treatment for athletes.
The country’s Director of Sport, Christopher Jones, agrees.
“Associations and federations should start examining ways in which they could get health insurance for their athletes, and the Sports Commission, and government by extension, would be willing to partner with any such arrangement,” Jones said.
“But the Associations need to take the lead, since the athletes come under their purview.”
This, he said, will assure athletes that his or her association has a regime in place that will cover and provide for them in case of injury.
“This would be a plus for the athlete, since he or she knows that in case of injury there is an insurance policy in place for them,” Jones said.
Noting that the National Sports Commission (NSC) is doing its own research into insurance policies for athletes in an effort to avoid another Clive Atwell situation,” Jones stressed:
“At the NSC level, we have been trying to get guidance on the cost factor and level of coverage of insurance for these athletes so as to assist, but it starts with the associations.”
GLIMMER OF HOPE
Some of the country’s federations and associations are seeking to change their game. For example, the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) is following the International Boxing Association (AIAB) protocol in minimising the risk of head trauma.
According to Steve Ninvalle, President of the GABA, “We are following the safety protocol of AIBA, in an effort to save our boxers. They removed the head guards from amateurs, which reduce the risk of concussion, and referees now have the power to stop a match when they see it fit.”
Ninvalle is also the Vice-President of one of the country’s leading football clubs, Alpha United, and weighed in on that front. “We’ve pulled our footballers from playing in the Guinness Greatness of the Streets competition because, when they get injured in that competition, we then have to undergo the costs of rehabilitating them.” He added that the inappropriate shoes worn on the playing area cause knee injuries and shin splints.

ATWELL’S ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Before the fateful night and subsequent events, Atwell was a 16-year veteran who turned

‘pro’ in 2010. He was in the prime of his career after nine years of being ranked an amateur.
He had fought for the World Boxing Council (WBC), Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE) Super Lightweight title against Trinidadian, Prince Lee Isidore. He was also the National Lightweight and Featherweight Champion.
He had also won the WBC CABOFE Featherweight title after taking out next-door neighbour, Venezuela’s Rafael Hernandez.
It was from there that he qualified for the WBC World Featherweight title in Mexico against Johnny Gonzalez. From Mexico, it was Australia; and from there, it was fighting Jamaica’s Sakima Mullings for the WBC CABOFE Super Lightweight title.
Other notable accomplishments included fighting at World Championship in Chicago as well as the PAN American Games in Brazil, where he won a bronze medal. He also represented Guyana at the 2009 World Championship in Italy.
But all he has now are memories, as he will never set foot in the ring again. However, he is content to sit on the sidelines and offer mentorship, while returning to his life as a plumber and electrician.
The reality check is brutal, but Atwell’s story may not be the only one out there.
But, with statistics not readily available, it is hard to tell how many have suffered a similar fate.
In an effort to push the development of sports, the one thing that cannot be ignored is protecting and caring for the athletes who give these sports their lives.