WITH JUST OVER three months to go before Barbados stages the AIBA World Women’s Boxing Championship 2010, there is concern that it is not receiving the public profile of the recently concluded ICC World Cup T20.
Joyce Bowen, president of the Amateur Boxing Association of Barbados (ABAB) and head of the International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) women’s commission, told the SATURDAY SUN that the major event seemed to perpetually be in the shadow of other events and now it was Crop-Over season.
The championships will be held from September 9 to 19 at the Wildey Gymnasium.
“My main concern right now is the lack of advertising. For a World Championships, it is too low key. Barbados should be abuzz with this. Yes, Crop-Over is ours, but this is ours too,” she said.
“This is the first time for a small country to be given such an honour and the whole country – not just the people who are involved in it – should be in it.”
Frustration clearly evident in her voice, Bowen said the low profile also had spill-over effects, namely in the area of sponsorship.
“We are having problems getting sponsorship. I guess that is because they just had the Twenty20 World Cup and we now have Crop-Over which most people are concentrating on.
“One of the reasons sponsorship is not coming the way I thought it would is because we are not advertising it the way I want it to be advertised. It is a fantastic opportunity for us, but we have to stop being so lackadaisical about it.”
The previous five championships were held in the United States, Turkey, Russia, India, and China and were all a success.
Bowen, who is the lone female on the American Boxing Confederation, said part of the challenges also stemmed from the fact that it had to be done to AIBA regulations, and not those of the host country.
She has done such an excellent job of selling Barbados, AIBA has also added a Road To Barbados programme where 60 boxers from developing countries would be trained (at AIBA’s expense) during the championships. Once boxers were eliminated, they would also be able to join the training camp.
“The Road To Barbados will lead all the way to the London 2010 Olympics. People who have done well here will be going to the next World Championships and then on to the Olympics,” Bowen said.
The latest addition is a technical delegates exam. Technical delegates from across the world who want to officiate at AIBA events will have to take the exam, paying their own airfare and accommodation.
“I am not happy with the media exposure we are getting because we are not getting any,” Bowen said.
In spite of these challenges, the administrative work has been moving along.
The invitations, registration letters and list of countries which require visas have all been sent. Accommodation has been secured for both the competitors and participants in the Road To Barbados programme.
The Mighty Gabby has penned the tournament jingle; both the logo and mascot have been designed and approved by AIBA and former Barbados cyclists Colin “Top Cat” Alleyne has offered to put up two stone mascots outside the Wildey Gymnasium, but they were awaiting permission to do so.
In 2008 at the last championships, 237 amateur boxers from 42 countries took part in 13 weight categories.
