Newly elected Barbados Boxing Association (BBA) president Dr Melissa Branford-Jones has acknowledged that the sport needs revival and said the new executive will pull together as many resources as possible to get the job done.
Branford-Jones was voted in as the seventh president of the BBA and the second woman to hold that position with 34 votes. Former Commonwealth Games bronze medallist and Caribbean champion Junior Greenidge accounted for 24 votes while Guyanese businessman Gardel Roberts tallied two votes.
Shortly after securing victory yesterday afternoon at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex, Branford-Jones said to rebrand boxing the BBA will look at areas such as strengthening its membership and educating the public more about boxing.
“It needs to start with our membership current and then we need to improve our membership. We need to get the boxers in from a younger age, grassroots. We have plans already in place to get into the community, to bring the youngsters in.
“I find that it is important now to find out exactly what the current members want and to bridge that gap between the executive and the membership. We may be crossing lines and not understanding what the people want,” Branford-Jones said.
“To get more current membership we have to educate the public about boxing. People have this perception that it is a dangerous sport. The truth is it is no more dangerous than many of the other sports out there where they are several other types of injuries.
“We need to re-educate the public and get the youngsters in from primary school. We need to learn about the sport, we need to learn about the art and come from there,” she added.
The election was supervised by Adrian Donovan of the National Sports Council along with three members of the Barbados Olympic Association (BOA), vice-president Cameron Burke, general manager Glyne Clarke and administrative assistant Paula Jarvis. It was one of the most exciting and intriguing elections in BBA history. What was initially a five-person race for president became three after Joyce Bowen surprisingly withdrew her bid for the top position along with new member Alonzo Welton.
It was also a close race for the position of first vice-president and in the end, it was Kelvin Nowell who retained his position with 30 votes. Aubrey Blackett was named second vice-president with 29 votes.
Long-standing member and veteran administrator Kathy Harper-Hall was voted back in as general secretary with 31 votes and her rival Allan Lange 27. Shani Beckles was elected unopposed as treasurer and Shada Webster as assistant treasurer.
The BBA membership placed their faith in the 41-year-old physician Branford-Jones who said her vision was to one day see local boxing move from amateur to professional. However, the BBA is badly in need of sponsorship and that is an area the new executive will focus on.
“We have the talent and it can be done. Money is important. We need more sponsorship and one of our plans is to bring boxing in Barbados a little bit better. So, we can get sponsors on board.
“We depend heavily on the funds that come from the Barbados Olympic Association and we are very grateful for that. But we do need to get the private enterprise interested in the sport. This is going to take a lot of work, a lot of coordination. The previous executives have started on this work already and we will see how the new executive moves forward with it,” Branford-Jones explained.
“Yes, we have a lot of work to do. We have started. We have a new executive. We are going to be putting more ideas in there. Find out what the members want and just take it from there. A little bit at a time,” she stressed.
A strong advocate for athletes and their development, Branford- Jones is determined to see Barbadian boxers reach their full potential. To do that, she said funding, training and more competition were needed.
One of the main struggles over the years for the BBA has been to acquire a home for boxing and the new president said they will work towards accomplishing that goal.
For those who question whether she is capable and competent to lead the association, Branford- Jones who joined the association in 2018 as a ringside physician, made it clear she does not have all the answers but one thing for certain she has people around her who do.
“As a person who will sit on the executive, I know enough to administer. I don’t know everything about boxing but there are some good concepts that I am familiar with. I have had some training in sports administration, I was the secretary of the Barbados Sports Medicine Association for at least a year and a half. I was on the executive for the last year of the boxing association and I have been the ringside physician for a while.
“So having the opportunity to be around boxing, I have picked up a lot. I have had to read all the rules. I cannot be a ringside physician and not know all the rules of boxing. I am a member of the referees and judges’ group where they have conducted the training. They conduct training all the time so I am familiar with things that referees and judges are expected to know in the ring. I have had the opportunity to attend meetings with AIBA most recently in their elections,” Branford- Jones said.
She also noted that she wanted persons involved in the sport at all levels to treat each other with respect, especially when they have differing opinions on issues.
“We need to understand that we are not here for ourselves, we are here for the athletes. It doesn’t matter that I was in volleyball all my life. I love volleyball, it is still a big part of me but as an athlete and I have to say I was a very disciplined athlete. I understand the importance of commitment, the importance of listening especially to people who know better. Being coached and learning how to execute. There is no need for persons to be so combative when they have an opinion to voice. There is a way to do it and in a forum that is correct.
“If we sit and learn about our organisation, about the rules that govern our organisation, If you have any queries, questions, anything that upsets you, there is a way to address that and usually, you are seen in a better light if you do it in the right way,” Branford-Jones said.
morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
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