The Tribune

AFTER a long and illustrious amateur career, Carl Hield ventured into the professional ranks and, in just one year, he’s made tremendous strides having won a championship belt and successfully defending it.

Hield, however, said with the strides he has made, he’s disappointed that he has been dropped from the Bahamas Government’s subvention programme.

“It was disheartening to learn that this decision was based on the ministry not receiving an update from the boxing president, resulting in uncertainty about my activity status,” Hield said.

“As an elite boxer who has proudly represented The Bahamas on international platforms, I rely heavily on the support provided through the subvention to sustain my training and development. 

“My president has informed me that a letter was submitted to the ministry confirming my continued eligibility for the subvention, given my performance over the past year.”

Since March, Hield said he’s improved his pro boxing win-loss record to 6-0 and in June he captured the World Boxing Association’s (WBA) FedeCaribe super welterweight title.

With amateurs getting a chance to fight against the pros, Hield said he was able to maintain his pro status as he got to represent The Bahamas at the  Olympic qualifiers, but fell short of advancing to the games in Paris, France, July to August.

Following that disappointment, Hield said he got the chance to defend his WBA FedeCaribe title to improve his record to 7-0. 

It’s a tremendous feat for Hield, who asked for the ministry to reconsider their decision to remove him from the subvention programme.

“I kindly request that you review my situation regarding the subvention,” he stated. “I have not received any formal notice regarding my removal, nor has my federation president. I trust that you will understand the importance of this support for my training and competitive endeavours.”