The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WHILE they wait on the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation to get the irregulars of the recent elections sorted out, Ray Minus Jr and Ronn Rodgers have joined forces to form the Bahamas Community Boxing Programme.

The aim of the new body is to get at least 1,000 boxers registered in amateur boxing.

Rodgers said they decided to forge the new partnership because of what they saw happening in the federation and with IABA not recognising the newly elected administration.

"Right now pretty much, there is no administration for amateur boxing," Rodgers said.

"We're not going to let that stop us. We have already started a programme where we are going into the community and training more boxers.

Now into its third week of existence, Rodgers said they don't want to see "the sport fall by the wayside," so he and Minus Jr are going into the community and trying to find fresh new talent to bring into the sport.

"When the federation get their act together, we will be ready to join them," Rodgers said. "But for now, we are moving forward and trying to do whatever we can to push the sport further."

Since forming his Champion Boxing Club on Wulff Road, Minus Jr has been calling for a unification of the sporting clubs, especially with the monthly shows that he regularly stages.

"Ronn Rodgers is a person of great principle and he is so knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the sport, not just in boxing, but so many other sports," Minus Jr said.

"So with the knowledge that he has, he has been a great help to me, so I am very happy to work with him because although we had a great friendship before, we were able to come together and form this partnership without any problems."

Minus Jr said he's overwhelmed to be able to forge the relationship with Rodgers.

So far, the two coaches have staged an introduction to the program at the Mother Pratt Park in St Cecilia's where they worked with about 100 youngsters and two weeks ago, they were on Goodsman Bay where they entertained another 50 youngsters.

"Over the summer, our intention is to go into every community park and work with the youngsters," Rodgers said. "We will get a regular schedule where people in the community will know that we are coming and they will be able to have their youngsters available.

"We want to get as much kids trained as possible during the summer. We just feel that three months is just too long to have kids idled. So we want to get the kids out there and training in the sport."

Rodgers said their Strikers Boxing Club have seen a vast improvement on the young men who have joined as some of them have gone on to attend the University of the Bahamas and schools in the United States and Canada.

He said they are also preparing boxers to compete in the Olympic Games or to turn professionals.

"Even though we are both on Wulff Road, we know that everybody can't come to us, so we are going to them," Rodgers pointed out. "With school still open, we are only on Goodsman Bay from 2-5 pm on Saturday and 3-6 pm on Sunday.

"Once school closes, we will branch out to the community parks, starting with Mother Pratt Park where we got the program started. We will go from Monday to Sunday. We will move it around sop that we can hit the districts in Kemp Road, Fox Hill, Englerston, Baintown and Nassau Village, places like that with parks."

Rodgers assured the public that they can expect to see the Bahamas Community Boxing to come to their community during the season, so they just want them to get their youngsters ready.

The good thing is that there is no charge for them to participate. Everything is going to be free of charge.