Trinidad and Tobago three-Star Referees/Judges Assessor James Beckles will arrive on local shores on August 15th to conduct two important training seminars during the prestigious Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/Juniors Championship.
Beckles, who has the distinction of being the only Three3-Star Referee/Judge Assessor in the English-speaking Caribbean, will conduct an intermediary forum to provide clarity and educate the respective participants on the recent rule changes that were implemented by the world governing body, the International Boxing Association (IBA). Beckles will also conduct a beginner seminar for emerging and aspiring participants. Both forums will take place August 16th-20th.
GBA President Steve Ninvalle said, “The two forums are of the GBA’s developmental apparatus. As an association, we inherently recognize that the advancement of referees and judges, who are pivotal members of the sport’s human capital, is synonymous with the growth and development of the discipline. This is the soft infrastructure that we have continued to enhance and evolve each year. Boxing cannot develop without the advancement of its technical and judicial officers. We are aware of such a reality which is a best practice within the international sporting fraternity, and simply not an actuality or element of boxing. This is development personified.”
He added, “The seminars are also two-pronged in their developmental scope. The decision to invite the joint services, who have a cultural and historical affinity and heritage within the discipline, was done with the simple premise of expanding the pool of judges and referees which will serve the long-term growth of boxing. This is a mechanism for blooding and exposing new talent who will eventually transition into the senior realms of authority within their respective judging and refereeing corp. This is certainly an investment for the future that will benefit the sport.”
Practical evaluations will take place during the morning period at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, whilst the National Racquet Centre, Woolford Avenue, will serve as the setting for the theoretical assessments. Both workshops are being conducted with the sole purpose of improving the quality of local refereeing and judging.
The joint services in the form of the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Prison Service have also been invited to participate in the respective seminars.
