William Tavares-Finson - File

Businessman and well-known sports administrator, William Tavares-Finson, was returned as president of the Jamaica Boxing Board for another two-year term Thursday night, at the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Jamaica Boxing Association, which was held at the offices of the Sports Development Foundation.

Also returned to the executive committee of the board were Leroy Brown, as general secretary, and Doreen Brown, as assistant general secretary. Newcomers to the executive were Stephen Jones as first vice-president, Lieutenant Colonel Derek Robinson as second vice-president, and Alastair MacBeath as the new treasurer, replacing Sonia Jackson who did not seek re-election but remains a member of the board.

Other board members

The other members of the board are Keith Brown, Kingsley Goodison, Wallace Campbell, Luke Ducille-Irons and Barrington Graham. Irons and Graham are the other new members of the board.

Tavares-Finson stated at the meeting that the past year had been one of reasonable growth for the sport and that the new board would be making an effort to keep boxing on a growth path. It was acknowledged that there was a need for more trainers and a move, he said, would be made to get a trainer from overseas to conduct training in the latest methods for locals.

General Secretary Brown highlighted the fact that there was a scarcity of officials, which had to be corrected. New referees, judges and timekeepers, he said, had to be trained to keep up with the needs of the board, as many more boxing cards were taking place because of the increase in the number of gyms and active boxers.

Brown, who is an international technical official, sent out an appeal to persons who wanted to be referees and judges to make contact with the board, as training sessions would be arranged at an early date for newcomers.

Strict new rules

The meeting was also addressed by Dr Patrece Charles-Freeman, head of the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO), who spoke on new drug-testing rules and regulations for athletes in the various sports. WADA, she pointed out, had some strict new rules that had to be adhered to, and which were designed primarily to make competition drug free worldwide.

Dr Herbert Elliott, a noted sports official, reminded the members at the AGM that second-hand smoke could lead to problems for athletes, as an athlete could inhale marijuana (ganja) smoke, for example, and test positive for the drug. Even athletes who did not smoke had to be careful of the company they kept and the environments they frequented in and out of competition. He also once more advocated the banning of smoking at all sporting events.