The Berbice Boxing Association was officially launched after which an election was held to elect the executives, who are expected to work together in an effort to revive boxing in the County.
Following the election, 41-year-old Roy Jafarally, a businessman of Fort Ordinance, East Canje, Berbice, was elected the president of the association.
During his first address, Jafarally said the team recognises that boxing has died within the region and therefore plans to resuscitate the boxing gyms across Berbice that have been dormant.
“We already have coaches who would have resigned to their homes and not doing anything to come back into these gyms and to stimulate the process of having the youngsters now execute their interests in boxing taking into account all the COVID -19 protocols,” Jafarally added.
Presently, Berbice has four boxing gyms, all of which had to close as a result of the COVID-19 measures, along with the lack of equipment needed by boxers to engage in the sport.
The Berbice Boxing Association also intends to hold dialogue with the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., given his interest in boxing across the country.
“The Minister has encouraged other boxing boards across the country like our body here in Berbice to formulate and stimulate boxing across the region so that the Government can give their olive branch towards those associations that are being formed,” Jafarally noted.
The members who were elected to serve on the association include Vice-President Eli Hazel, Secretary Pinky Arthur, Treasurer Greggory Cort and Public Relations Officer Royan Abrams.
The association is expected to host its first statutory meeting on April 30 and is required to meet on the last Friday of every month.
Editor’s Note: The Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), the governing body for professional boxing, and the Guyana Boxing Association, the governing body for amateur boxing, have both claimed they are unaware of the formation of a Berbice Boxing Association. As such, the Berbice Boxing Association is not an affiliate of either of the two governing bodies.
