World governing body for amateur boxing AIBA has assured that every step would be taken to preserve the safety of delegates attending next month’s Congress in South Korea. The assurance was provided after Caribbean countries scheduled to attend the Congress had written requesting information on precautions to minimise the possibility of the dreaded Ebola disease being spread there.
Chronicle Sport has been informed that Patricia Steulet, AIBA Director of External Relations has pladged that the world body is taking a serious approach to the issue and would never compromise the health or saftey of any delegate.
Steulet aslo indicated by way of email that AIBA is working very closely with concerned services in South Korea to minimise chances. Barbados, on behalf of the Caribbean, had written to AIBA late last week expressing the region’s concerns.The AIBA Congress is scheduled for November 12 to 14 in Jeju Island, South Korea.
AIBA’s membership totals 196 countries. West African countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are all affiliates, the hardest hit by the rapidly spreading Ebola disease and have accounted for the majority of deaths.
On Friday, World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the death toll in the Ebola outbreak has risen to 4,546 out of 9,191 known cases in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. Ebola is spread through contact with the blood and body fluids of an infected person, such as urine, vomit, diaorrhea and faeces, and saliva.
Guyana has placed restrictions on entry into the country of travellers from West African countries hit by the disease.