The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALVIN Sargent, the only active Bahamian international referee/judge of the International Amateur Boxing Association, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Boxing Commission.

He replaced Pat “The Centreville Assassin” Strachan, who served previously under the Free National Movement.

Sargent, who noted that he was approached for the position before, but declined to continue his involvement in the amateur ranks of the sport, said he’s delighted to be elected as the new chairman of the professional boxing arena.

“There has to be a new way to look at the sport of professional boxing in the Bahamas because it has been at a low in recent times,” Sargent said. “There seems to be very few promoters around who are seriously interested in promoting the sport. So we have to work diligently to try and see if we can encourage people to become more involved in promoting the sport.”

Sargent, whose appointment takes effect immediately for the next year and could continue through the duration of the PLP’s governance, will be assisted by veteran journalist Fred Sturrup, who served previously under Strachan. There are 20 other members, some of whom are returning from the previous administration.

The list is made up of Leonard “Boston Blackie” Miller (honourary), Levan Hinsey, Locksley Thompson, Ray Minus Jr, Dr Norman Gay, Dr Patrick Roberts, Walter Rolle, Kayla Minus, Dr Munir Rashad, Bert Perry (honourary), Terry Goldsmith, captain Fernley Palmer, Leslie Cornish, Bahamas Olympic Committee president Wellington Miller (who also serves as president of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Bahamas), James “Kid Freeport” Tynes, Nelson “Chippie” Chipman, Wilfred Coakley (honourary), Roger Kelty, Dwayne Murray and Alvin Davis.

Sargent admitted that the list is bigger than usual, but he’s prepared to work with everyone who is selected to help regulate the sport.

“We could work with a smaller body, but while we welcome all of these persons, they all have experience and the knowledge about the sport,” he said. “We would prehaps like to have a smaller body, but this list is fine. We will work with everyone of them.”

As for Strachan, whom he replaces, Sargent said he was pleased with the inroads that the former cruiserweight champion of the Bahamas made to the sport during his tenure in office.

“I’m happy with all that Pat has been able to achieve during his tenure,” Sargent said. “Pat has done an admirable job I think. In my view, he had some very good people working with him and some of those persons will still be on the board, so we intend to carry on from where he left off.

“We intend to use those persons as effectively as we can.”

In 1982, Sargent was one of four Bahamians who started out their quest to become an international referee/judge.

While one has died, the other two never followed through with their commitment. Sargent, however, said there are only about 5-6 from the Caribbean that are IABA certified officials.

During the years that he has served as an official, Sargent said his ultimate goal was to serve as a referee and judge at the Olympic Games, but without getting the nod to travel to London, England, this month, that is the major disappointment that he has experienced at the international level.

He last officiated at the Pan Am Games qualifier in Ecuador last year. The last games he officiated in was the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, in 2009. But whether or not he gets a call to officiate at another international event, Sargent said he is pleased to be serving as the new chairman of the Bahamas Boxing Commission.

NOTE: The PLP also appointed the Anti-Doping Commission with Dr Jerome Lightbourne retained as the chairman. The other members are Dr Locksley Munroe, Dr Julian Stewart, “golden girl” Pauline Davis-Thompson, Fred Sturrup, David “Stretch” Morley (former president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation), Roscoe Davies, Charlie “Softly” Robbins (president of the Bahamas Basketball Federation), Dr Patrick Roberts, Sam Haven and director of sports Timothy Munnings.