Jumaine Moore: Another ‘kind’ of boxing prodigy

Oct 13, 2023 Sports

---

Kaieteur Sports – The pursuit of uniqueness in this modern realm can be regarded, rather expectedly, as a difficult assignment.

There is nothing new under the sun! The popular proverb [Ecclesiastes 1:9] is fitting in this respect, as there is nothing original in existence that wasn’t built on a prior precedence or resonance of the past.

And yet, Jumaine Moore, 12, has been able to defy that common certainty to attain an extraordinary feat. The Hope Secondary School pupil became the youngest qualified boxing judge in the English-speaking Caribbean after earning his credentials following the conclusion of a training conference in the month of August. The previous holder of the record was a 13-year-old Trinidad and Tobago native.

Moore attained his seminal moment during the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/Juniors Championship, impressing highly regarded Trinidad and Tobago 3-Star Referees/Judges Assessor, James Beckles, who was the conductor of this symposium.

His qualified services were afforded to the GBA (Guyana Boxing Association), his generous benefactors, at the recently held Novices National Championship. It would be challenging to unearth another junior administrator within a national sport of this magnitude who is in possession of regional accreditation. Without fear of correction, Moore is unequivocally a wunderkind that should be celebrated for his historic attainment. Ordinarily, these feats are of the athletic genre, which makes Moore’s administrative accomplishment even more noteworthy, as individuals of his age and ilk are often engrossed in the practical participation within a discipline and activity.

Though he concedes that his father influenced his decision to become an official, which illustrates that his appreciation for the combat art certainly can be traced to paternal love, his resoluteness confirms that his proclivity for the activity is of his own volition.

Moore expounded on the aforementioned: “My father normally comes home and speaks about boxing, and I always wanted to go but couldn’t. One night he came home and said there was this referees and judges course and asked if I wanted to participate, and I said yes. I learned the basics and did an evaluation, and I passed it, and that’s how I became a boxing judge.”

The junior Moore acknowledged that he never harboured any intention of competing in the squared circle and that the ringside table offers a much more comfortable viewpoint.

Displaying a quiet confidence that belies his age, Moore further stated, “I am very proud of myself; it’s a great accomplishment, and I owe it all to my father. He has been a great guide for me, and I want to continue to be a boxing judge and possibly make it into a professional career.”

While his possible aversion to the squared circle can’t be considered a disappointment in the continuance of a brief but competitive family legacy, his affinity for the ‘judge’s chambers’ provides for a solace that can be appreciated.

Rudolph Moore, father of the distinguished wunderkind and himself an experienced referee/judge, said, “He wants to be just like me, so I am the person who he looks up to for guidance and everything. Anything that I partake in, he would be interested in. I am very proud of him. I’m not only his father but also his mentor. I serve as an inspiration to him. I’m not disappointed that he didn’t choose to fight. I am very proud of his accomplishment.”

Granted, it is understood that the consequences associated with this fistic activity are allayed in the form of administrative participation. Although most parents, particularly those of maternal persuasion, would rather not embrace the ill-perceived notoriety that is associated with this combative pastime, Moore’s brief engrossment, at least at this embryonic stage, indicates that individual development can certainly materialise outside the scope of the controlled brutality associated with the squared circle.

He is a testament to such an actuality. This is even more significant given his mental aptitude to comprehend his possible athletic limitations and, consequently, to still offer another outlet and avenue as a contribution to the enhancement of the sport that he adores via his intellectual faculties.

Moore’s achievement is also a reflection of the advancement that is rather aptly being engineered by its current handlers, the GBA. To have the gumption, which is the bane of many ‘learned’ administrators, is beyond commendable and is indicative of a visionary approach to development.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle said, “Jumaine Moore is the product and face of a novel initiative that will be the cornerstone of our sport’s administrative and technical future. The GBA strives to provide a sustainable environment for the sport’s fraternity, and the development of our human resources extends beyond the squared circle and encompasses experienced officials and aspiring administrators and officers who possess the intellect to add value to the discipline. This worth extends beyond age. After all, the association has cultivated and exposed prodigies within the ring, and now Jumaine Moore is the first example of such a feat being attained outside that setting.”

He further said, “At the GBA, age certainly is not a hindrance or imposition in this regard; what is of utmost importance is intelligence.” We have to continue to create an ecosystem where prodigies, both inside and outside the ring, are able to realize their potential. The ‘boy wonder’ in this case possesses all the attributes and faculties, and the eventual accomplishment is evidence of such. The GBA is delighted at his exploits and congratulates the young lad on his historic achievement, and we will continue to foster such innate abilities in all our athletes and officials, irrespective of generation and age group.”

There is no need to advocate for the obvious. The GBA is in possession of a diamond-in-the rough, and the journey or process in the refinement of such a proverbial gem has already commenced. Any other notion would be an antithesis to common sense, which is in contrast to the motivations of an entity that has shown a willingness, under its current dispensation, to foster young talents. After all, he is the paradigm of a future strategy and will serve as an inspiration and poster child for individuals who might contemplate a comparable pathway.

Felicitations to Judge Moore. May this serve as the start and stepping stone for additional achievements!

---

• Boxing, Ecclesiastes 1:9, Jumaine Moore, original, Prodigy

---