Amateur boxing men bring on Intercol boxing.
By WALTER ALIBEY
The sport of boxing has now been introduced in the nation’s schools and fans can expect an intercol boxing competition as of next year.
Revelation of this was made at a launch at the new Ministry of Sport building on Abercromby Street, Port-of-Spain, yesterday, in which equipment was handed out by Director of Sport Paul Newallo for the cause.
The move is the brainchild of the Amateur Boxing Association which received funding from the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee for the initiative.
Amateur Boxing Association president Cecil Forde said his association will be conducting training sessions at 14 of the nation’s schools by seven of the country’s top boxing coaches. The schools include Mucurapo Junior and Belmont Junior Secondary Schools which will be in the hands of former boxer turn coach Neil Welch.
Aranguez and Barataria Junior Secondary which will be under the care of Revival Boxing Gym coach Rufus Edwards and other schools such as Diego Martin Junior, St Michael Boys School, Morvant/Laventille Secondary, Malick Secondary Comprehensive, Penal Junior, Siparia Junior, Marabella Junior, Pleasantville Junior Secondary, St Mary’s Orphanage and Youth Training Centre (YTC).
According to Forde the other coaches will be Winston Cox of Tigers Boxing Gym, Alan Joseph, Voisin Jones of Sand City Boxing Gym, Anthony Waterman and Roland Cave of the YTC Boxing Gym. He said training session has already begun at the Siparia Junior Secondary School and will run for four months.
He made it clear his association has already gotten the go ahead from the Sports and Education Ministry and it has been okayed by the various schools. Forde said further the coaches will receive a monthly stipend thanks to the Olympic Committee, which has also donated $4,000 for the purchase of equipment.
The aim he noted is to eradicate the violence at the various schools across the country and by extension reduce the violent crimes among the communities. Approximately 125 students from the different schools are scheduled to benefit from the pilot project and will continue according to the response it gets, Forde said.
One of the coaches Welch, who runs his own boxing gym in Port-of-Spain, also hinted at staging separate vacation sessions for students in the near future in an aim to further enhance the development of the sport.
Only this week Welch had been denied two gallons of paint by the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board to upgrade his gym. He has since heavily criticised the board for their lack of vision. Newallo meanwhile welcomed the idea of the implementation of boxing at schools and promises to assist in the venture.
Forde noted that chief executive officer of the Olympic Committee Katherine Forde was also instrumental in obtaining her committee’s sponsorship.
The boxing he says will be held at the auditorium of the various schools, which themselves have also assist in providing their own gear.
