The Jamaica Boxing Association and GC Foster College hosted its first boxing officials graduation under the recently announced partnership to train officials for the sport, and announced a fight card under the Gloves Over Guns initiative. The event was held on Tuesday on the college campus.
Twenty trainee officials began the one month intensive course from October 13 to November 5, totaling eight sessions, while thirteen completed it and were part of the graduation exercise.
The Jamaica Boxing Association’s (JBA) Kevin Stupart who is an AIBA trained and certified instructor (AIBA referee one star, referee/judge) conducted the training course. “We covered the duties and responsibilities of referee/judge. We look at things the referee should do before the bout, during the bout and after the bout. The reason we break that down in three segments was for ease and simplicity in terms of teaching it and letting them understand the different fundamentals as it related to boxing officiating.” He also said that six males and seven females graduated and that it was the first time that so many females were trained in boxing officiating. He praised the group for their interest in the sport while saying that this can only lead to the growth of the sport.
Toniann Lindsay, one of the female trainee who graduated from the course said “I am really pleased with the course. I wanted to be certified at the end. I wanted to be one that pass, I didn’t want to be come through and drop out because it wasn’t just 13 of us that started the course but 13 of us finish strong. We learned a lot in this course. We learned the roles and responsibilities of both being a judge and a referee. We learned about fair plays. We learned about the scoring of the game. We learned about how the game is set up and how to check each boxer every time they enter the ring or if one goes down when to say stop, when to say break, when to start to count. It was very interesting course and I am so elated to be here right now at this ceremony collecting my certificate. (I) look forward to Friday as we will also be displaying what we have learnt. I just want to thank everyone who made this possible.”
Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones, president of the JBA and Chester McCarthy, athletic director at GC Foster College both welcomed the first cohort of trainees who completed the training under the joint arrangement and sad that it was a good day for the growth and development of boxing in Jamaica.
According to Jones, “That will first of all allow us to have more activity on the same evening or closer bouts, week to week as we are looking to have closer bouts now. It will open our mind, expand our thinking as we try and get into high school boxing where we could have officials at multiple venues so now that we have 13 officials graduating today (Tuesday) its huge. The graduates are very excited. They are young, enthusiastic and they are willing to work so starting from this Friday they will be in the ring. Jones also said “we will be having a 10-bout Gloves Over Guns fight card from the most novice boxer to a pro fight.”
McCarthy “I am extremely elated for the primary reason that this is the first time in five or six years that we have been able to train a fresh set of officials for boxing here in Jamaica. Its an extremely good feeling to have partnered with the Jamaica Boxing Association to train these youngsters.”
The fight night which will see some of the trainees entering the ring to conduct official duties, will be held this Friday on the ground of the college starting at 7:00pm. The ten-card bout was announced by Felipe Sanchez of the JBA. There will be nine amateur fights and one pro fight between Jermaine ‘Breezy’ Richards and Mason ‘Common Fowl’ Brown.
Mr. Leroy Brown, general secretary of the JBA who also spoke at the event noted that boxing will soon be introducing video replay during fights to settle some decisions.
