“IT is not an easy task as an executive, when it comes to moving amateur boxing in the right direction. But with individuals who have the dedication, calibre and initiatives as our head coach Terrence Poole, we can readily move amateur boxing forward and in the right direction.” Those were the words of president of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) and Parliamentary Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS), Steve Ninvalle, at the opening of the first-ever local coaches course at the National Gymnasium yesterday.
He continued, “This is the first time we will be having a coaching course for our local coaches as we seek to empower them in the sport, being conducted by one of our very own in Mr Poole and not by an International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) official and I ask that you not only give him your full cooperation, but you sit and act like sponges and absorb what you have been taught.”
Director of Sport in the National Sports Commission (NSC) was high in praise for both Poole and GABA, but more so the former whose initiative it was to organise the course.
“Poole has been around for a long time and I hope that what is being taught to you, you will take it back to your respective gyms and impart it to your charges there, as the aim of this course is not just to produce better coaches, but also produce better amateur boxers for Guyana,” said Kumar.
While Ninvalle chose not to disclose the contents of a meeting held earlier in the day with an official from the British High Commission (BHC), Kumar said it was important and imperative that he did so, as it involves Guyana’s amateur boxers.
“The meeting we had with the British High Commission official this morning had to do with Guyana’s participation in next year’s Olympic Games that will be held in London and most of it had to do with GABA’s road to London, with the British Government offering us assistance.
In that regard, I would like to see our boxers undergo an encampment period for one year under the guidance of Poole and a team of coaches that will include a foreign coach as well.
While in the camp where they will be adequately prepared to go to the box-off and win handsomely, I would like the boxers to undergo a thorough medical examination and physiological tests, as it is my aim to see Guyana return from next year Olympics with several medals,” stated Kumar.
Kumar called on the GABA to exert itself more while the Ministry of Sport will be offering its support to the GABA and will also be looking to further enhance the monthly ProAm boxing card that is held in collaboration with the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC).
The 16 coaches included two women. the The programme, which will end on Saturday, will address topics such as Boxing Technique, The Art of Boxing, Making a Start, Boxing Skills, Sports Sociology and Draws and Byes (History of Boxing) by Poole.
Doctors Carl Hanoman and Fawsett Jeffrey will lecture on topics: Indicators of Doping in Sports and Avoiding Sports Injuries while Lennox Daniels will take the participants through his topic entitled: How Great Fighters Trained.