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GOA to fund Cuban Boxing Coach’s return Juman-Yassin calls for support from NSC, GoG & Private Sector
By Sean Devers
Speaking at their spanking new Headquarters at Lilliendaal, East Coast, Demerara President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) K. Juman-Yassin informed that the GOA will stand all expenses, including accommodation and stipend, to facilitate the return of 51-year-old Cuban Boxing Coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan.
Yassin, who in December 2016 was re-elected for his sixth consecutive term since he became the President in 1996, called out the NSC, the Government and Private sector to offer more support to not only Boxing but all Sporting Associations.
This is the second stint here for Roldan who was responsible for overseeing Boxers that represented Guyana at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships, South American Youth Games, Pan Am Qualifiers and the Goodwill tournament that was hosted here.
The Coach was sent home three months after the APNU Government was elected in 2015 after working here for three years and three months as the Government cited lack of funds to pay Roldan.
Roldan, on his departure three years ago, had called on the new government to support the sport.
“We can bring the best coaches in the world here, but once there is no support, the discipline will suffer,” said the Spanish-speaking Coach.
“I am confident that the new government will do that. We have the main thing which is talent but talent alone is not enough to win in this era,” he had added back then.
Now that he is back on South American soil, Roldan thanked the GOA and the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle for bringing him back to Guyana.
“I will work very, very hard and give my best to the Boxers here,” he said yesterday with a deep Spanish accent.
The GOA Head informed that last year he and Ninvalle had discussions on what could be done to help locals to qualify for International Championships and the GBA President noted that a good Coach was needed and recommended Roldan.
GOA President K. Juman-Yassin (centre), GBA’s Steve Ninvalle and Cuban Boxing Coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan at yesterday’s briefing.
“I also felt that a highly qualified Coach was needed to help develop the local pugilists and we decided to offset all of his expensive while he is here,” Juman-Yassin said.
He explained that Roldan’s length of stay here would depend on the Boxers.
The Guyanese fighters will hope to be successful in Nicaragua where the Pan American Games qualifiers will take place in early April. The Pan Am Games is scheduled for Peru in July.
The World Championships is before the 2020 Olympics which is set for July/August in Tokyo.
“If they qualify for the Olympics Coach Roldan will be here until 2020,” explained the GOA Boss.
John Douglas is the last Guyanese Boxer to qualify for the Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, United States in 1996, while Mike Parris (1980 in Moscow-Bronze) won Guyana’s only Olympic Medal.
“Winning an Olympic medal is not easy since it usually takes 10,000 Coaching hours to prepare for an Olympic Medal and a camp will be needed to prepare for the Pan American Qualifiers and that is why the Government and Private Sector needs to support since the GOA and GBA can’t do it alone,” Juman Yassin added.
He also congratulated Ninvalle on his recent appointment as Chairman of AIBA’s Youth Commission.
Ninvalle informed that Roldan appointment is a good one since has the experience of spending a lot of time here and understands the Boxers and the culture.
“Roldan will hit the ground running since we have a meeting with the Technical Director Terrence Pool tonight (last night) and will start his work tomorrow (Today) very early,” the hard working Ninvalle concluded.
AIBA will confirm to Panam Sports, AMBC and NOCs the name of the athletes who have gained a qualification place by May 6th, 2019.
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