Female boxer Ria blocked again

MINISTER of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes has been blamed for the cancellation of a major professional boxing card scheduled for tonight.

Promoter Bharath Ramoutar said yesterday he has been forced to call off the presentation because there is no Boxing Board of Control in place to sanction the card. He said this is the second time for the year the card, featuring promising female flyweight Ria Ramnarine, has been scratched and it is going to have a very damaging effect on her future prospects. “Ria needs fights to build her record and chances of getting a shot at the Commonwealth, regional and world championship. Without fights, especially at home where she will have the home advantage, she might well retire,” said Ramoutar sadly. He said the repeated cancellation has also put him in an embarrassing situation with match-makers and managers of fighters overseas who have committed themselves to the card but have to be told at the last minute the bouts are off.

Ramnarine, 24, was slated to box New York-based Deidre Hamaguchi. The petite Carapichaima fighter has a record of four wins and two losses with one no-contest, but has impressed all who have seen her display her skill, ring-craft and courage in the ring. Ramoutar said her two defeats were against much more experienced and better-prepared opponents who were both fighting in front of their hometown partisan fans. “We must give Ria the same opportunities in front of her fans to build her record and confidence to take on the top international fighters on an even playing field,” said Ramoutar. He cried shame on Boynes who he said is reluctant to name a new Boxing Board of Control after the three-year term of the last administration, headed by interim chairman Dr Calvin Inalsingh, expired last December. “I hope that politics is not rearing its ugly head. Boxing is being destroyed while the fighters are kept inactive,” said Ramoutar.

He said by Ramnarine’s inactivity, through no fault of her own, her top ten ranking is in grave jeopardy and she stands the chance of slipping out altogether if she does not fight within the first six months of this year. Ramoutar said the only alternative is to have Ramnarine fight overseas but he does not have the funds to promote the bout outside of Trinidad and Tobago. “I am appealing to Minister Boynes to name the Boxing Board immediately and get the sport rolling again,” said Ramoutar. He said he has been able to solicit limited sponsorship for the card, which was to have been staged tonight, but wants to assure his financial backers that the fights will come off as soon as permission can be had from the Boxing Board of Control.