Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC) Chairman Annabelle Davis on Thursday said she welcomes varying opinions from others but has urged sporting administrators to stay focussed on doing what’s best for the athletes.
In a media release, Davis, who was previously critical of some members of the Board, clarified her stance.
“In fact we welcome the differences in opinions for it encourages healthy debates and stronger associations,” Davis said. However she calls on sports administrators to not allow these differences to stand in the way of fulfilling their mandate of developing athletes and country through sports.
“This should be a warning to administrators of all sporting bodies to be more athlete-centred and athlete-driven and agendas that do not fit with athlete development are what we should get away from.” Davis said it was then chairman Brian Lewis, in his 2010 tenure with the TT BBC, who suggested some of the development initiatives being put forward presently such as the Athletes’ Kitchen, Gladiator Programme, New Faces of Boxing, the WBC Youth Professional League and WBC World Cup. “They have been lying dormant for many years and we have decided to implement them,” Davis said.
Davis said she concurs with new Minister of Sport Darryl Smith who pledged to focus on athletes after being sworn in.
“This is what we intend to do...
focus on the development of the athletes and country.” The TT BBC said that since the signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the TT BBC and the WBC recently, the board has been bombarded by calls from regional neighbours and other countries, expressing an interest in the development initiatives.