Local boxing officials benefit from enhanced officiating techniques as course concludes

Aug 02, 2011 Sports

Recent outcries by boxers as well as their supporters of questionable decisions by officials at boxing matches have reached the ears of the executive of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC and prompted President of that organization, Peter Abdool, to solicit the services of World Boxing Council referee/judge Wilfred Boodhoo to ameliorate the problem.

Wilf Boodhoo explains a point to the group of attentive officials at the seminar yesterday morning. President of the GBBC Peter Abdool is sitting at Boodhoo’s right.

Yesterday morning, local officials convened at the Civil Defence Commission, Thomas lands, where Mr. Boodhoo engaged them in a 4 hours interactive session that examined and discussed the intricacies of the profession. The forum was well attended by all of the local officials.
Employing an ingenuous technique, Mr. Boodhoo, also an accredited official of the WBC, who has officiated at several international fights, piloted the officials through the intricacies of the trade. He informed them that his mandate was to enhance their competence to an acceptable level with that of his organization, in preparation for officiating duties further afield.
Mr. Boodhoo further intimated that officials of the WBC had a vested interest in the advancement of officials in the South American region and were anxious to have a pool of these officials in the region to fill the officiating vacuum. The newly accredited officials are now capable of performing such functions after Mr. Abdool would have formally lodged the request to WBC officials. He has committed to this task immediately.
Meanwhile, participants at the forum reviewed the scoring system and the many technicalities involved while receiving an opportunity to implement the techniques and strategies after viewing live bouts among world contenders. They also engaged in practical sessions that allowed them to employ their newly acquired knowledge after viewing and scoring several fights.
Mr. Boodhoo further entertained discussions pertaining to issues arising out of the scoring process. A heated debate erupted after the participants had viewed a bout where one of the pugilists had dominated the larger part of a particular round but was floored nearing the culmination. He subsequently lost the round by a 10/8 margin in keeping with the rules. Most of the participants questioned the logic employed and in clarification Mr. Boodhoo explained that even though the former had dominated a large part of the round, it was the knockdown, considered a superseding factor that shifted the arc in the other boxer’s favour. He then cautioned the officials on the importance of employing the statutes irrespective of how puzzling or irrational they may seem.
A particular scenario further prompted heated discussions and underlined the importance of the ‘third man.’ Participants watched as a boxer fell to the canvas after receiving a legitimate blow. Instead of administering the mandatory eight count the referee summoned the doctor to examine a wound incurred by the fallen boxer while ruling that the knockdown was actually a slip. Quizzed on the powers of judges to correct that anomaly Mr. Boodhoo explained that unless the referee so indicates, judges are constrained to ignore the mishap and score the round accordingly. “That’s the way it is,” informed Mr. Boodhoo. “It underlines the powers invested in a referee and may even prompt the pundits to accuse him of impartiality,” he concluded.
Those were just some of the issues and concerns that were raised in a programme that covered a wide range of issues. The WBC official closed the session by charging his local colleagues to use their newly acquired knowledge to enhance the sport. At the end of the sessions the officials all admitted that they were informed and inspired. They then committed to diligent officiating in the future.

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News