Time to streamline boxing
Says Donald Duff
Stabroek News
October 21, 2002
After years without a world boxing title during which time fighters from neighbouring Caribbean territories managed to achieve what our boxers strove manfully for, Guyanese boxers, it seems, have finally found the recipe for success when world title fights come along.
Vivian Harris' vicious onslaught on Cuban Diobelys Hurtado Saturday night in Houston, Texas, which saw him wresting the WBA and IBA junior welterweight titles from the Cuban with a spectacular second round stoppage, made it two world champions for this South American country in just eight days. As the saying goes it never rains but it pours.
The wins have given Guyana much recognition internationally and could serve as a fillip for boxing locally.
This tremendous achievement of two world champions in such a short space of time is a first among Caribbean countries. The feat is all the more remarkable when one takes a close look at the state of the game here.
That a fighter from Guyana, where there is no proper infrastructure, where facilities are few and far between and where professional boxing has died ever since Odinga Lumumba and Keith Bazilio washed their hands on promoting, can defeat the defector from Fidel Castro's socialist sports system, is an achievement comparable with Aliann Pompey's gold medal 400-metre run at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
One can maybe argue that Harris honed his skills whilst contracted to the Lou Duva camp and at the Gleason's boxing gym in the US and not here.
While Harris fought as an amateur here before departing for the US in his early teens, he has perfected his skills at the Golden Gloves and other tournaments in the US.
The fact, however, is that talented boxers reside here and it is here they must learn the trade of the `Sweet Science' and they must have the best facilities, training and trainers possible to help them achieve their goals.
The achievements of Wayne Braithwaite and Vivian Harris will give hope to boxers like Andrew Purlette and Gary St Clair that their dreams too are possible and will certainly fuel a rush of prospective young world champions to the few gyms still active in the country.
While Harris' victory makes more difficult the choice of who will be Guyana's male sportsman of the year, a possible solution will be to make both himself and Braithwaite share the award.
However, of more importance is the fact that government and the amateur and professional boxing boards will now need to sit down and review all aspects of the sport.
Perhaps a committee can be set up to look at the conditions of gyms, competitions, methods of training, diet, medical and all other relevant aspects the sport.
The boards themselves need to get busy and get boxing back where it once was. There must be vibrant programmes resulting in champions in every division at both the amateur and professional level.
A ranking/ratings system should be introduced and promoters encouraged to restart staging professional bouts.
This country has a rich tradition in the sport and a long list of pugilists who have put Guyana on the map from Moti `Kid' Singh, the first to Harris, the latest.
It is time now that boxing benefit from major government and other types of funding. The exploits of world champions Braithwaite and Harris demand this.