A bridge to the future in boxing was built during an important meeting in November in Havana, Cuba. Commissioned by the Pan American Caribbean Boxing Organization (PACBO) and the Bahamas Boxing Commission (BBC), veteran sports administrator and media consultant Fred Sturrup traveled to Cuba to meet with chief boxing officials to forge a new relationship that will serve to enhance the national boxing development program.
The arrangements for the meeting were made by His Excellency Ernesto Soberon Guzman, Ambassador (in The Bahamas) of the Republic of Cuba. Sturrup met with a group headed by Cuban Boxing Federation President Alberto Puiz de la Barca. Also present for the historic meeting were Cuban National Sports Specialist Lazaro Ocano, Technical and Commercial Specialist Karina Cordero Dominguez, Assistant Technical Director Tania Olaniel Costa and officials Enida Clanero and Alejandro Barrientos.
During the meeting in Hanava, the prospect of the Bahamas National Boxing Program directly patterning that of Cuba was the chief item on the agenda. De la Barca pledged expertise and spoke of the ongoing training Bahamian boxers have gotten in Cuba in the past. "We have been happy and satisfied to assist the Bahamian program to a degree in the past. There was just one bit of problem. Sometimes, the Bahamian boxers we were training defeated Cuban boxers, but, this is all good.
I can say that we are prepared to advance technical help on basic skills and the new concepts of the sport to fortify the Bahamian program. We are thinking alike and I like the fact that there is the interest to let us help," said de la Barca. The avenue of cooperation is now open for Cuban boxing officials to visit to assess the national situation and prepare a report as to how the national program can be enhanced.
Also, the Cuban officials are receptive to small groups of young boxers visiting to learn firsthand about the Cuban boxing environment. A series of meetings will now be held within the boxing movement and with the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to discuss the road ahead. Sturrup is president of PACBO, deputy chairman and secretary to the BBC and honorary secretary of the Amateur Boxing Federation of The Bahamas.
Commission Chairman Alvin Sargent called the trip the first step to revitalize the overall boxing program in The Bahamas. "We in the commission embrace the joint effort for boxing development through PACBO and the amateur body here. I, of course, have a thorough understanding of all aspects of the local boxing program. I was appointed chief official of PACBO several years ago. I started my career in boxing with the amateur association and helped it evolve to a federation.
I had a previous intimate association with the professional element and feel honored to be positioned as chairman. "I gave full support back in 2007 to the three groups working together to push the sport. We are indeed fortunate that the presidential seat of PACBO is in The Bahamas. Because of that we all benefit from the initiative in Cuba. On behalf of the commission, I can say we were happy to endorse and support the project," said Sargent.
Wellington Miller, who heads the Bahamas Olympic Committee (BOC), is also the president of the amateur boxing federation. "I am just happy that all these years later, we are still working together to move boxing forward. Sturrup was president of the amateur program when Sargent, Pat Strachan, Nat Knowles, Gary Davis, Cephas Bowe, Kermit Graham and I were young boxers getting into the program for the first time. We've come a long way. This is another big step. However we in the federation can, we will support," said Miller.
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