The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN an effort to ensure that its coaches and members are kept abreast of the new rules, the Amateur Boxing Federation of the Bahamas is all set to hold a one-day seminar in the boxing centre at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on Saturday.

The event is slated to begin at 9am and, according to president Wellington Miller, will provide an opportunity for all the participants to learn a lot more about the new scoring machine being used by the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) and the federation’s five-year plan for the senior boxers as they prepare for the upcoming Olympic Games and World Championships, in addition to a 10-year plan for the junior boxers.

“We want to meet with all of our partners and to bring them up to date and Alvin Sargent, a level II certified judge, will demonstrate how the new scoring machine works. The machine, which was provided by AIBA, will be used to score points on the computers for the boxers in all local tournaments. We want to get the judges online so that they can start using the machine,” Miller said.

As a part of the seminar, Miller said Sargent will be presented with his judges certification, which makes him eligible to officiate at any AIBA organised or sanctioned competition, except for the Olympics or the World Championships. The latter two require a level III certification. Sargent is the highest ranking and only international certified official in the country and one or the few in the Caribbean. We are very proud of Alvin’s accomplishment,” Miller said.

“We are making our presence felt internationally and we want to do the same thing here by getting more officials qualified to join Alvin Sargent.”

Also, Miller said national coach Andre Seymour will receive his AIBA level III coaching certification, while Floyd ‘Pretty Boy’ Seymour will be presented with his level one coaching certification. They are the only two international certified coaches in the country.

Andre Seymour’s certification enables him to be able to coach at any AIBA competition, including the Olympics and the World Championships.

Floyd Seymour, on the other hand, will only be allowed to work the corner as an assistant.

In order to coach at the international level, Miller said coaches must have either a level one, II or III certification.

“AIBA has changed all of their requirements for coaches, so we’re happy that we have these two coaches,” Miller said. “But we want to impress upon our coaches that this is the way that it’s going to have to be done and if they want to travel to any of the international events, they have to be qualified.”

Also during the seminar, Miller said a representative from the Anti-Doping Commission will be on hand to provide some information to participants on all the relevant information on what drugs should not be taken by the boxers before and during competition.

“We know that there are a lot of drugs being used out there,” Miller said. “We are trying to do our part to make sure that our boxers know what they should and should not be taking when they are representing the Bahamas.”

Miller said they intend to have representatives from the boxing organisations from Andros, Abaco, Inagua, Grand Bahama and New Providence.

All amateur boxers are also invited as pertinent information will be provided for the way forward.