Four amateur boxing coaches to receive stipends
By Michael DaSilva
Stabroek News
November 23, 2002
Four amateur boxing coaches are to receive stipends from the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), for services they are expected to execute in a special training programme organised by the GABA.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, GABA's president K. Juman-Yassin, disclosed that his organisation which has benefitted from the Pan American Sports Organisation (PASO) funding, will be using part of the sum allocated by the Guyana Olympic Association, to give four coaches who have already been identified.
Among the four coaches are national coach Lennox Daniels and Dirk Alexander of the Young Lions Gym at Linden.
Yassin used the opportunity to remind the media that the National Sports Commission and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, for some time now, is without the services of a boxing coach.
"I know sometime ago, the National Sports Commission, through the initiative of Mr. (Neil) Kumar (Director of Sports), had started an exercise to have new gyms around the country, boxing gear was given out, but I think that has been thrown on ground that is full of rocks. I don't think any fruit has been borne from that, and why, you cannot just only go around in an area and give out a few pairs of boxing gloves or a punching bag, you need much more than that. You need to get coaches that are committed to go around" Yassin pointed out adding "I ask the question, is there any boxing coach now in the employ of the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture, or the National Sports Commission?. I don't think so, and there has not been any boxing coach in the employ for several years now.
"Years ago, when boxing was on top, there were several coaches who were employed and who went around the country. We have indicated that there is a need for boxing coaches to be employed, who can go around, so that when gear is handed out, they would ensure that whoever is running the programme, knows what they are doing and so the youngsters there can also get the confidence that someone who is knowledgeable, is there with them. Unfortunately, we don't have this, and GABA does not have the funds to do it. The limited funds that we have and have been able to access, we are giving a stipend to four coaches and among the four is one from Linden. And I appreciated and recognised the hard work that Mr. Dirk Alexander has been doing." The Guyana Olympic Association president stated.
The GABA has also allocated funds for the national coach or a representative to go to Linden at least three times per month to have a look at that community's training programme and advise or implement accordingly, for the development of the young amateur boxers at Linden.
