PAID VOLUNTARY SERVICES!!!

Nov 27, 2013 Sports

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By Michael Benjamin

The recent achievement of four of our boxers, Travis Fraser, Tefon Greene, Michael April and Joel Williamson at the inaugural South American Youth Games in Lima, Peru (three bronze and one silver medal) has prompted President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle, to host a press conference at his Main Street office and issue a call for broad based support to complement the work of his executive and the boxers in their bid to make the transition onto the international platform and improve the quality of their respective performances.
However, even as Mr. Ninvalle’s pleas resonate, there is much work to be done in his organization to enhance his charges’ fortune and might just do the trick in encouraging the broad based support he so desperately seeks.
Even though the team that attended the Peru held South American Youth Games returned laden with medals, those boxers must not be allowed to rest on their laurels and preen their feathers especially since those accolades were more fortuitous than meritorious.
One wonders aloud, also, about the criteria for international representation; it seems as though it is based on the capability of the boxer/s to acquire the requisite funding and not necessarily a realistic chance of winning medals.
There has been so much focus on the failures of the boxers that the work of the executive body has been ignored. Recently, however, there has been enough evidence that the laxity might very well have its genesis at the head thus affecting the lower tier.
Maybe, the GBA executives do find the time to huddle and devise strategies to better the fortunes of their charges but elect to take a humble stance and not to blow their trumpets. If that is so, it has to be the most well kept secret since there is no evidence to strengthen this view.
The thing is, Mr. Ninvalle needs to revisit his administrative strategies and restructure his ploys which might just be the answer to the flagging fortunes of his charges. A case in point might have raised its head in the just concluded DDL Under-16 championships at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym (ALBG).
Activities lasted for two days and were supposed to get underway at 10:00hrs on both days. Yet at 12:00hrs, the orgasnizers were still awaiting the arrival of the ring officials (only referee, Romona Agard, Mr. Poole and the ringside nurse was at the venue).
At 12:00hrs, Mr. Poole decided to have lunch after which the boxers were required to enter the ring for their respective bouts. Any nutrition or fitness guru could explain the detriment of such a decision. Eventually, the officials straggled in and the bouts were conducted.
Mr. Ninvalle did not attend the fights and arrived for the prize giving ceremony and the photo ops. Whether he was informed of the earlier transgressions of the referees and judges is another matter.
Word is out that these officials are suggesting that they receive a stipend for their services and when one examines the issue in its totality, this might not be an unfair request. The question of acquisition of such funding is another matter altogether and maybe the time is ripe to start ventilating ways and means of facilitating this initiative.
Maybe, Mr. Ninvalle could influence members of the business community to broaden the sponsorship package to include a small stipend for the hard working officials. The GBA President has bemoaned the absence of adequate corporate support. He said that he is confident that such support could make the difference for his charges but Mr. Ninvalle must now think outside of the box.
There have been notable changes to the point where amateur boxers in some parts of the world are receiving cash for their bouts. The ruling body, IABA, has recently dispatched a circular to its affiliates indicating its intention to incorporate professional boxers into the Olympics.
Yes, the ploy has instigated court action from among the bigwigs in the boxing fraternity but the mere thought has highlighted that in this new dispensation there is need for new and effective strategies.
It must be noted that while the referees and judges are providing voluntary services, they are still obligated to maintain a high level of discipline. Corruption has not yet visited the fraternity but the sacrifices made by the officials must not be ignored. The opportunity cost of giving voluntary service must also be taken into consideration.
I have often been told that quality comes with a price; oats sold before it is eaten by the horse will obviously fetch a handsome price. However, if you are satisfied with oats that the animal would have chewed on, processed through its intestines and then deposited through the other end, well, that product can be had for free.
President Ninvalle can now decide which of the group of oats to feed his officials; he should strive to enhance the fortunes of his officiating staff. The domino effect might just surprise him!

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