Returning Monday with the most successful Guyana team in the Caribbean Development Boxing tournament, head coach Sebert Blake is urging the administrative bodies to invest in the sport as he puts his career on the line, promising excellent returns.
Boxing Coach Sebert Blake
At the Eugene F. Corriea International Airport, the team was given a heroes’ welcome by Minister with responsibility for Sport, Nicolette Henry, Director of Sport Christopher Jones, President of the Guyana Olympic Association K. A. Juman Yassin and President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, all of whom Blake appealed to for support.
Blake who is also the coach of the Forgotten Youth Foundation located in the heart of Albouystown listened attentively as each of the representatives spoke adamantly on their ‘continued support’ for the sport.
Minister Henry said that the current administration has doubled the allocation in the 2017 budget for sports while Yassin emphasized that the GOA will be doing everything in its power to support the sport.
Both speakers articulated their position of wanting the sport to develop while expressing how proud they were with the accomplishment. The team earned 10 gold medals and one silver while was Christopher Moore adjudged Best Boxer of the tournament.
Yassin related that there used to be a time where athletes were given full time employment with the sport and he is hoping to have this return.
The coach said “it is a challenge to garner funds and to have people support us and we have to do good.”
When asked about the prospects of earning an Olympic gold medal, Blake said it is a difficult task and this could only happen if we put our shoulders to the wheel.
“I wanna be fair and frank, the gold medal is a difficult task and can only happen if we put our shoulders to the wheel and when I say we I mean Guyana,” the coach said.
“We need a lot of funding but we wait a year or few months before to start preparing and when we go we ain’t win nothing, but I want to make a pitch to the Minister, Director of Sport and GOA President because I know they have the power in their hands to make it happen for us. Give me or GABA [Guyana Amateur Boxing Association] four years of investment, give us everything we want to some extent because you know you can’t get everything you want, give us one time above what we are getting now,” an emotional Blake said.
He is also putting his career on the line as a wager in exchange for the support, “if I, Blake don’t do it, I resign from boxing totally, this is my pitch to President Yassin, Director Jones and Minister Henry, give us the support. Many times we ask and don’t get it.”
Blake added that he has traveled the world and seen many teams and countries invest millions of dollars into the sport and with half the talent we have here in Guyana are only able to produce one medal or so.
“We see what they do for their boxers and they can’t achieve as us so again give us a notch up and if we don’t perform I prefer to quit,” he stated.
His reasoning behind this statement was that if he is given support and not producing it is unfair but is also unfair to have them not support and expect production.
Blake who recently returned from a coaching course in Hungary said he has learnt a lot and given the opportunity the sport can reap the rewards of this training.
