Ninvalle makes history, elected to AIBA executive committee

Nov 15, 2014 Sports

Head of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle scored a first for

Ninvalle makes history, elected to AIBA executive committee.

Guyana and the English speaking Caribbean when at the 2014 International Boxing Association (AIBA) Congress in Jeju, Korea, yesterday morning (local time), was elected to the Executive Committee of the organization.
The occasion also marked an important milestone for the Caribbean region and signals a turning point for the sport in the region.
Mr. Ninvalle had been initially nominated by members of the Caribbean Boxing Associations after a meeting in Barbados to contest for the position of Vice President of the Americas Confederation (AMBC) which would have automatically made him an EC member.
However, he lost out in that bid after former AMBC president and staunch supported Domingo Solano without warning, pulled out of the race for re-election. With the help of US Virgin Island president Tony Rosario, Ninvalle was able to lobby Latin American votes and rebounded to successfully clinch the position, snatching one of five positions contested for by 32 countries.
His success is the first in the history of local amateur boxing and even further afield in the Caribbean region. It means that Caribbean countries now have a representative voice at the top echelons of the sport.
Contacted yesterday the GBA boss declared even though it is an unprecedented achievement for Guyana his elevation to the hierarchy of AIBA could be considered a potent injection for boxing regionally.
“The Caribbean has fought a long and hard battle and this is a just reward. We now have a voice in the inner chambers of AIBA. My intention is to push for all boxing with emphasis on our region,” the GBA president said.
Meanwhile, president of the St. Lucia Boxing Association David ‘Shakes’ Christopher branded Ninvalle’s recent ascension, the region’s most significant boxing milestone in years. “This has been long coming. We have come up against such countries as France, Spain, Japan, Bulgaria, and Ukraine and have won. I salute my brother Steve Ninvalle and I know that he will make the Caribbean proud.”
President of the Grenada Boxing Association and former president of the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association Ralph James announced that a mission has been accomplished. “This is a tremendous victory for the Caribbean. It goes beyond boxing because it is a victory for Caribbean sport,” James pointed out.
Ninvalle is now in the elite company of other executive committee members like Fran Lopez Almeida (Venezuela), Jurgen Kyas (Germany), Eyup Gozgec (Turkey) and Pat Fiacco (Canada). These positions are valid for the next four years.
The EC has already held its first meeting.
Meanwhile, incumbent President of the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Dr. Ching-Kuo Wu, received a unanimous vote of confidence and was returned as its President for a third consecutive term.
In addition to re-electing the AIBA President, delegates from national federations attending the forum also voted to appoint new Vice Presidents and Executive Committee members for the next four years.
Those clinching Vice President positions are for Africa, Kelani Bayor (Togo), VP for America is Osvalo Bisbald (Argentina), VP for Asia is Serik Konakbayev (Kazakhstan), VP for Europe is Franco Falcinelli (Italy) and VP for Oceania is Ted Tanner (Australia). (Michael Benjamin)

Pic – Steve Ninvalle at the AIBA Congress in South Korea.

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