Latest update April 23rd, 2024 12:59 AM
May 07, 2010 Sports
Asks Michael Benjamin
On Saturday May 2, the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports and the National Communications Network (NCN) staged the third edition of the ProAm boxing card. This initiative, a brainchild of President of the GBBC President Peter Abdool, was conceptualized in direct response to the desperate cries of the boxers, the supporting public and other affiliated members, for frequent, qualitative bouts.
The programme got underway on February 26 last and to date, three cards have been staged. Consequently, several professional and amateur pugilists, initially inactive for sometime due to the sparse periods between fights, were afforded the opportunity to display their skills.
Boxing buffs that have been fed a dose of mediocre cards in the past were naturally, doubtful of the quality of bouts and predictably, the crowd attendance for the first card was dismal. The attendance level improved somewhat for the second edition of the programme, inspiring some amount of confidence of the organizers that they were making inroads. The third edition saw the largest attendance to date and if the trend continues, it seems as though the GBBC may have discovered the solution to the problem of inadequate attendance that has beset the boxing fraternity for sometime now.
One could not help but admire the gumption of Mr. Abdool. The initial planning stages were the toughest. Decisions had to be made pertaining to the wisdom of live airings of the card plus the negligible admission fees. The consensus was that live airings would have kept the crowds away from the venue. The naysayer opined that once the action was shown live many persons would have opted to enjoy the bouts from the comfort of their homes instead of visiting the arena.
Coupled with the live airings, Mr. Abdool decided to charge a minimal entrance fee of $500. The madness continued when the GBBC boss decided to allow all boxers and direct affiliates into the venue free of cost. It was almost as if Mr. Abdool had taken leave of his senses. Three editions later, there has been a shift in the arc and feedback received seems to suggest the wisdom of the move.
Cricket fans turn up at the venues even if the action is live on television. They want to share the same space with their heroes, breathe the same air and participate in the celebrations after every boundary. They want to shout and scream after a wicket falls. So too, boxing buffs prefer to be at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) to hear the raw sound of leather thudding into flesh. They want to touch their heroes; to mingle with them after every bout; to be able to say, ‘I was there!”
On the flipside of the coin, one cannot help but notice the enthusiasm displayed by the respective boxers in their bouts. To date there has been no complaints of boredom by any of those attending the show.
The boxers realize that the 4 rounds period allotted to get the job done is so brief that they will have to really get going from the onset of the bout. This translates into action packed encounters.
We have not even begun to discuss the benefits derived by the amateur boxers. The frequency of bouts has begun to show positive signs. The Republican boxers, more particularly, Nankumar Singh, are once again exhibiting the skills of yesteryear when that gym ruled the amateur roost. Constant activity, or more appropriately, the ProAm fight nights are already beginning to bear fruit and this is only the third edition.
The organizers are currently mulling over the compilation of the fourth edition this month end. It necessitates hours of careful deliberations at the end of which the best talent would be on show. Already, the responses are favourable as some members of the corporate community are pitching in. Maybe they have come to recognize the viability of their input. It is time to issue a timely call for more assistance.
When the Kashif and Shanghai football tournament started, it was just an insignificant tournament between four teams. The fans could have comfortably fitted into the Mackenzie Sports Complex (MSC). That tournament moved from strength to strength. The organizers persevered. Today, that championship is among the largest in this part of the world after outgrowing the MSC and it is still growing. The spin off for local footballers, the business community and all other stakeholders is immense. That tournament, like the ProAm Boxing cards, started as a dream. Today, it has developed into gigantic proportions.
Peter Abdool nurtures similar dreams, similar ambitions. It is now up to the boxers, the business community and the many other stakeholders to be positively affected by the Peter Abdool dream.
LISTEN HOW JAGDEO WILL MAKE ALL GUYANESE RICH!!!
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