Boxing team appeals to gov’t US Embassy on manager’s behalf
By Clyde Pestano
Stabroek News
March 23, 2003
The members of the Guyana Pan-Am boxing team and their coach are making a special appeal to President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister Gail Teixeira and the local US Embassy, on behalf of their manager, Albouystown businessman Jimmy Ramnarayan for him to get an intransit visa to accompany them to La Paz Mexico for the olympic box-offs set for March 28 - April 3.
The team is tentatively scheduled to leave Guyana tomorrow for the championships with high expectations of qualifying for the Olympics in Greece next year.
Coach of the team Lennox Daniels who has been coaching for over 18 years, stated that it is not easy to go on a trip such as this without a manager.
He mentioned that in 1994 he had an experience whereby he had to attend a technical meeting and his boxer at the time had to enter the ring without him and according to him this is one of the main reasons why a manager is needed.
He added that a manager is someone who has specific skills which a coach may not possess. Daniels claims that since Ramnarayan has been added to the team as manager, his impact on the egos and self-esteem of the boxers has been tremendous.
The coach added that the manager is not a novice since he has been around boxing many years now. According to Daniels, Ramnarayan was one of the chief motivators behind former world champion Andrew “six-head” Lewis which saw him winning Guyana’s first world title.
The coach is making a special appeal to those persons in authority to help facilitate Ramnarayan’s attendance at the championships. Daniels said, “if we are to do a professional job then a coach should do what a coach is mandated to do and a manager should be doing what a manager does best, which is, to manage.”
The coach revealed that the GABA had a meeting with the minister recently and said that he was rather surprised at her extensive knowledge of the sport. He added that he is of the firm belief that the minister has boxing at heart.
However, according to him, there seems to be a difference of opinion between the minister and the president of the GABA K. Juman Yassin, which he would like to see resolved amicably.
He mentioned that minister Teixeira had pointed out to the GABA sometime ago that they needed to have their books in order and be financially accountable especially if they wanted to access funds from her ministry.
The coach is appealing to the minister and Yassin to meet in the best interest of the boxers and the GABA since there are several other international competitions due later in the year. “If this impasse continues then Guyana’s participation at these events will be severely curtailed,” Daniels said.
The coach extended thanks to Home Affairs Minister Ronald Gajraj who was instrumental in helping Crandon get his passport.
All three boxers who were interviewed by Stabroek Sport shared the view that the manager is an important cog in the team and should be there with them. They also said that they are grateful to the embassy for giving them their visas but they are also hoping that it is not too late for Ramnarayan to be reconsidered in order to get his too.
Middleweight Rayon O’Neil who has won a gold and a bronze at international championships said that he was not particularly happy that Ramnarayan was not on the team. He stated that “ Jimmy motivates me!”.
He added, “I’ve known Jimmy even before he was made manager and we have gotten even closer since he was appointed.” O’ Neil is making an appeal to the government of Guyana through the Ministry of Culture Youth & Sport and the US Embassy for the manager to be a part of the team.
He stated that he would like to make Guyana proud by securing a medal at the championships. Light-welterweight Dwayne Crandon who has won two gold and two silver medals at international championships in the past, should get his visa tomorrow.
He has promised to donate his gold medal to president Bharrat Jagdeo and stated that with his experience in the past he feels capable of winning gold at these championships.
He too would like the manager to accompany the team. He added that the manager has been instrumental in securing equipment and gear for the boxers and also helped in many ways to motivate them to greater heights.
The boxer said that he lives a stone’s throw away from Ramnarayan and has known him for many years. Crandon said he can recall as a youngster seeing Ramnar-ayan in his neighbourhood motivating the youths and said that he is also well-known for his association with former world champion Andrew `six-head’ Lewis.
The other boxer on the team, super heavy weight Eusi Watkins who has won gold at the Caribbean Championships in Jamaica in 1995, stated that, “there is no other manager like Jimmy, who motivates us the way he does.”
Watkins added that Ramnarayan should be on the team because he has strong motivational skills and inspires him a great deal. He too would like to appeal to those in authority to facilitate the manager being able to travel with them.
All the boxers expressed the desire to turn professional after the olympics next year.
