Source AIBA.ORG
BARBADOS — AIBA continued to embrace closer integration with all 200 of its National Federation members this week, with President Dr Ching-Kuo Wu meeting with the Caribbean NFs to discuss their ongoing development and the signing of the HeadsUp Charter. Dr Wu watched Saturday’s finals of the Caribbean Development Tournament before leading a meeting of Caribbean NF Presidents on Sunday.
“The Caribbean has always produced excellent boxers and over the past few days I have seen first-hand the current vitality of the sport, the new generation of talent and the huge potential here for developing yet more great champions in the years to come. This competition is a perfect example of how clusters of National Federations can work together to maximise their resources and enhance their global boxing stature, and AIBA is fully committed to supporting this kind of cooperation at every opportunity,” said Dr Ching-Kuo Wu at the tournament.
Region’s biggest boxing tournament returns
Barbados was hosting the second edition of the Caribbean Development Tournament since its return from a ten-year hiatus, with 14 countries competing at the Men’s and Women’s Elite and Male Youth and Junior levels. The hosts’ Kimberly Gittens showed once again why she is the best female boxer in the region, earning the Light Welterweight (64kg) title against Virgin Islands’ Cindy Claudio, but it was the Guyana team which best displayed its strength with eight golds overall, including five in the Men’s Elite competition.
Cooperating towards a bright future in the Caribbean
Having reached membership of 200 National Federation earlier this year, AIBA is keenly pursuing a more open dialogue with its NFs in order to better understand their individual needs and help them to reach their goals. In his meeting with 24 Caribbean NFs, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sports for Barbados Mr Stephen Lashley, President of the Barbados Olympic Committee Mr Steve Stoute and Mr James Marshall, Chairman of the Barbados Boxing Board of Control, the AIBA President Dr Wu outlined practical solutions to help develop the region’s boxing. Specific short and long-term goals in the realms of marketing, competitions and training courses will continue to be underpinned by AIBA’s commitment to education and grassroots boxing through the HeadsUp programme.
