Despite disappointment, GBA Head finds positives from Dubai meeting

Jan 29, 2018 Sports

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By Sean Devers
While Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle was disappointed that the Caribbean’s proposal was rejected by the new executive of the International Boxing Association (AIBA) at their recent meeting in Dubai, Ninvalle disclosed that there were positives for Boxing in the Caribbean coming out the meeting.

Ninvalle, who last year became first Caribbean Administrator to be appointed to the AIBA’s Executive Committee Bureau, explained the aims of the proposal and why the AIBA executive body wanted it to be resubmitted.
Ninvalle, a Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Department of Youth and Sports, informed the proposal that was presented was a four-prong one.
1: To ask ABIA to facilitate the start of the construction of a Boxing Academy in the Caribbean.
2: Support financially, the four major tournaments in the Caribbean; the Caribbean Championships, the Caribbean Schoolboys & Juniors Tournament, the OECS Championships and the Creole games. The OECS and Caribbean Games was based on them opening up the OECS and Creole games to participation to all Caribbean Territories
3: Ask for assistance for the Islands ravaged by Hurricanes last year
4: Ask for Gear for the four Championships…gloves….head Guards on so on
According to Ninvalle it was disclosed that the financial position was not at its best so some of the proposals that were included could not be given at this time.
“I would have hoped to have a decision here and of course we would have hoped that we did not have to re-submit but we have to respect the decisions of the executive committee and that is what we will do,” said the GBA Boss.
“We put forward a proposal for the year of the Caribbean which is 2018…remember the year of the Caribbean was declared under the past President Dr Woo. We have put forward a proposal as it relates to the year of the Caribbean and the Executive Committee has asked that we re-submit that proposal under a guide line.
We, as the CARICOM Nations in AIBA will have to sit and decide just how we go about that. It’s not something that one person can decide on. I have already informed the Caribbean Countries of the decision of the executive committee,” Ninvalle informed.
But all was not gloom and doom in Dubai for the Caribbean as Ninvalle explains.
“Our threat of bankruptcy has been put on hold because of the fact that the new Administration was able to negotiate with some of the people AIBA has owed and that is a big positive and we have been given new lease on financial life,” informed Ninvalle.
Another positive for the Caribbean was that AIBA was also able to amend its constitution and a lot the power that was vested in the President is now being shared by the President and the executives committee.
“So what this has done …the amendment of those clauses to our constitution gives the executive committee a little more power, the President can’t make some of the decisions that he would have made before.
I think this is a good thing that all the powers have not actually vested in the President to hire and appoint…the President can’t appoint now without ratification from the executive committee on many other things,” revealed Ninvalle.
“Well the thing that AIBA is under new leadership right now, it has been past from MrFranco Falcinelli to Mr Gafur Rakhimov and we are optimistic at the level of the executive Committee about the Sport getting back on track. Boxing has received a lot of negative publicity in the past few months…starting I think from last July, August to now. What the General Assembly of ABIA has done is to support that fact that we have turned to a new corner and the expectations are very high,” said Ninvalle.
“I think that we continue to work with the unity that we have and I can say without fear of being contradicted that the unity that the Caribbean has shown is envied across the board and we will continue to work with each other and to see ways whereby we can support and shoulder each other,” stated Ninvalle.
There is a training camp in Trinidad where most of the Caribbean Countries are going and Guyana will be a part of that.
“That’s how we will continue as a Caribbean, the unity drive will continue and hopefully we get more fuel for the Unity Vehicle,” said the GBA top man.
Guyana and Jamaica were the only CARICOM members who were represented at this Meeting in Dubai out of 109 nations that were there.
Guyana has the best Amateur pugilists in the Caribbean and according to Ninvalle the GBA has had a structured programme to ensure they continue to dominate, which it has shared with the NSC and the GOA.
“I believe we (GBA) are one of maybe two Sporting Associations that would have submitted four-year plans to the GOA and NSC. This is not guess work … we have a structured way we are going about developing talent,” Ninvalle assured.
Local Boxers are presently in training for the Central American Qualifiers which will be held in Mexico in March and for the Commonwealth Games in Australia’s Gold Coast early in April.
“We have also submitted a detailed plan to prepare for the Commonwealth Games to the GOA and are awaiting word from them now,” Ninvalle concluded.

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