Latest update February 9th, 2025 1:59 PM
Latest News
- Gunmen rob money changer at America Street
- Couple dies in fire at Hydronie, EBE
- “Oil-rich Guyana is worse off from the very start”- Glenn Lall
- Terrence Campbell to remain member of oil money Investment Committee despite transparency concerns in use of revenues
- Trump freezes aid to South Africa amid spat over land expropriation law
AIBA official commences referee/judges course for locals
Trinidadian and AIBA boxing facilitator, James Beckles and Secretary of the GABA, Shawn Richmond address the local referees/judges prior to the start of the sessions
By Michael Benjamin
With the aim of eliminating any concerns of poor officiating and other faux pas leveled at the pool of referees and judges affiliated to the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), the executives of that organisation have secured the services of a qualified International Boxing Association (AIBA) referee to conduct a refresher course for the local officials with an aim of lifting the quality of the local officiating.
To this effect, Trinidadian James Beckles arrived in Guyana and has commenced a workshop that will expose local referees and judges to the intricacies of the sport as well as recent adaptations implemented by the ruling body.
The sessions commenced yesterday and will conclude on Saturday with a tournament to be held in Goed Fortuin WCD. This tournament will provide local pugilists with an opportunity to display their skills while the referees would procure an opportunity to apply and demonstrate an understanding of the lessons taught during the four day workshop.
Speaking with Kaieteur Sport moments before the sessions got underway Mr. Beckles revealed that his duty is basically to impart knowledge to the local referees in keeping with the expectations of the ruling body. He pointed out that the sport has been undergoing stringent changes in order to heighten safety measures. The AIBA coach further said that he had worked with most of the local officials in the past and anticipates a harmonious session. “Most of these officials would have been introduced to most of the material; I am here merely to impart the new systems and rules so I envisage that the most part these sessions would serve more as a refresher than anything else,” said Mr. Beckles.
Woman referee, Romona Agard is currently the most qualified of the local pool and Mr. Beckles urged the others to aspire to lift their game so as to attain higher rankings. He bemoaned the absence of officials form the region at high level international tournaments and reminded the local referees/judges that their advancement to this level will depend on their acquisition of a thorough knowledge of the sport.
Mr. Beckles further posits that once the officials have been engaged in research as well as reading about the sport they would have been able to garner lots of information of the recently instituted rules and regulations. He also drew attention to the decision taken by the parent body to institute new weight divisions and the computerized method of scoring. He said that this aspect of the sessions is very important since those changes would have to be enacted locally.
Meanwhile, the local officials have settled down to soak up as much knowledge as possible as they are keen to improve on their respective performances. Mr. Beckles has since promised to work assiduously with the group to facilitate qualitative officiating in the future. The 49 years old Trinidadian is currently the only qualified referee from the Caribbean that comprises AIBA’s international pool of officials. He has officiated at the Beijing Olympics, at World championship bouts, the Pan American and the Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) among others high profile tournaments.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
You cannot borrow your way to prosperity
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The Jagdeo Doctrine is an absurd, reckless, and fundamentally shortsighted economic fallacy.... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
