The Namibia Professional Boxing and Wrestling Control Board is getting a makeover this year, new board member Trevor Mills has said.
On Thursday, Mills and the board’s newly installed chief administrator Thomas Mabuka gave The Namibian Sport a peek into their 2020 itinerary which includes the finalisation of a new Act for the sport and restructuring operations.
“We are putting a structure in place and we’ll run boxing like how you run a business. All sports should be run that way. When you have structure, a code of conduct and rules and regulations are followed, then everyone wins and is happy,” Mills said, who is a businessman.
“The Boxing Act in use is from 1980, we have a draft already that we are going through and making amendments so we can comply with the international standards.”
He along with chairperson Bernard Haufiku, youthful lawyer Saima Nghihalwa, director of commerce at the industrialisation ministry Maria Pogisho, and veteran former boxer and trainer Josef ‘Joe Archer’ Shikongo make up the new control board.
Sports minister Erastus Uutoni motivated them on 5 November to restore public faith in an institution dogged by infighting and maladministration.
“The new board is starting on a clean slate. We opened a new bank account. Basically, what we told the minister is that we will not take control of and or responsibility for the previous board’s issues. There are pending cases and all sorts of things happening that they need to sort out,” said Mills.
“The major change this year, is that the boxers will not get paid in cash at the fights. Everything is going to be done via EFT (electronic funds transfer) on the night. It’s to ensure that there’s absolute transparency. We can’t be carrying around all this money in this day and age,” he explained.
The first order of business is to oversee the boxing licence procedure. Specifically the board has issued new licensing tariffs as well as licensing applications and renewal requirements. The licensing exercise will be attended to between 31 January and 28 February.
The board will announce the status of all applications and renewals after their meeting on 4 March.
“From the past, you can see that the promoters were running boxing. They did whatever they wanted regardless of the rules. The control board had no control. We will have control of boxing administration,” Mills said.
“Individuals who miss the closing date will not be eligible to participate in any boxing activities. We will only consider applications later in the year for new promoters or fighters,” he added.
The new registration fees are N$650 for new promoters, managers, ring announcers, ring doctors and matchmakers and renewals will be N$325.
New and old boxers, referees/judges, coaches and timekeepers are required to pay N$80 for their licences.
To be eligible for a boxers’ licence, the applicant must complete the registration/renewal form; have two certified copies of their ID document; two passport size colour photos; medical examination form; current medical reports (HIV and Hepatitis B); and a bank account confirmation letter.
The requirements for licence registration or renewal for technical staff and other officials are a registration/renewal form; two certified copies of their ID document; two passport size colour photos; and a bank account confirmation letter.
“Anyone who requires more information about this or has any other query should contact the boxing board for assistance,” said Mabuka.
–allafrica.com
