WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) Central American and Caribbean regional chairman Boxu Potts wants local authorities to put more emphasis on developing professional boxers.
On Friday, Potts wrote to the Prime Minister asking for a meeting with Minister of Sport and Community Development Shamfa Cudjoe, the TT Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC) and local stakeholders to discuss a way forward for pro development.
He believes much is being done to enhance amateur boxing locally, but not enough effort is put into building pro athletes.
Potts backed up his request by claiming TT’s most successful boxers – Claude Noel, Leslie Stewart and the late Jizelle Salandy – all competed on the pro circuit. His statement also highlighted the need for a comprehensive approach to structuring this pro level.
“Both forms of boxing must be taught and grown from the nursery up, as not just the athletes themselves, but as a pool of professionals including referees, judges, ring managers, coaches, weigh masters, ring masters and managers must all be trained through the WBC curriculum, syllabi and regulations to participate in pro boxing,” he said.
Professional and amateur boxing are two distinct forms, governed by separate international bodies, the WBC (pros) and the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) respectively, each body with different rules and regulations.
Potts said it is evident there is a wealth of natural talent and potential for success in TT which should be nurtured through the support of the state and TTBBC.
This, he said, will ensure the development of competitive pro boxers who can represent the country at the highest international level.
Potts, a local boxing promoter, has also been vociferous in his call for a return of boxing locally, under strict covid19 regulations.
In mid-November, he made a similar request to Dr Rowley to allow boxing to be held in the Sea Lots area. This came after several videos circulated on social media of boxing matches there, which attracted much attention from the public, and flouted covid19 regulations.
He added, “I was pleased to observe the ministry’s (sport) and the boxing board’s interest in our recent professional boxing initiative in the Sea Lots area, 'Putting down Guns and Picking up Gloves,' which amassed substantial interest within the community and the national population as a means of both encouraging positive activity among at-risk youth, and creating local sporting entertainment.”
Although pleased with the government’s steps to aid the community initiative, Potts said he was disappointed the government was now seeking to invest in a community programme modelled on the Sea Lots initiative, but only for amateur boxing.
He continued, “I humbly suggest that as the ministry strives to use the sport of boxing to bring positivity and harmony at the community level, they also seek to engender fairness and recognition to both forms of the sport through equal support of both professional and amateur boxing."
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