Presidents Newsletter
December 2013
Hello Everyone
As we approach the end of the year, I’d like to thank all athletes, officials, coaches, parents, fans, and supporters for their dedication & commitment to our great sport over the past 12 months. It has been an exciting time with many changes at the provincial, national, and world level. I love being a part of this journey. I’ve really enjoyed being your president over the past 6 months, and I’m looking forward to leading our organization into the future.
Please read below for some of the highlights of the past quarter……
Results from Nationals & FTS
The following is the number of medals Ontario Boxers brought home from the Senior Nationals in Regina, and the Junior and Youth Nationals in Quebec City. Boxing Ontario is very proud of all those who were able to represent Ontario at the National Champions. More efforts are being made to ensure Ontario Athletes own the Podium in the National Championships to come. Lastly, Ontario did have 5 Final Team Selection Winners who are on the path to represent Canada. Congratulations to all.
Ontario Senior Medalists
Gold 7
Silver 7
Bronze 8
Ontario Junior C Medalists
Gold 4
Silver 3
Bronze 3
Ontario Youth Medalists
Gold 7
Silver 4
Bronze 2
Boxers Wanting To Turn Pro
One issue that came up at the FTS had to do with one of our athletes being removed from the tournament for his affiliation with the professional boxing business. This athlete had applied for and received a pro license in 2012, and this makes him ineligible to box under the AIBA amateur structure. The relevant rule is AOB Competition Rule 2.3.3, which reads as follows:
2.3.3. Any Boxer who enters into a contract, memorandum of understanding, pre-agreement or any other form of agreement, with an entity or individual other than AIBA (or any entity that is an affiliate or subsidiary of AIBA), related to such Boxer’s future participation in professional boxing or any other professional combat sport than boxing, will not be eligible to participate in any AOB Competition at any level including, for the avoidance of doubt, the Olympic Games.
People have been asking why this boxer was allowed to compete in Regina at the Elite Nationals, and the answer is that nobody knew about his pro licensing. At FTS, a complaint was filed by Boxing Alberta, based on this situation. When the tournament officials confirmed the facts, we were notified that the boxer was now ineligible to compete as an amateur, at any level. Further, we were questioned by Boxing Canada executive as to why we would even register a boxer who had applied for a pro license, let alone send him to a national tournament. This is something that we will have to keep an eye on going forward.
I brought this up at the Boxing Canada Semi-Annual Meeting which I attended this past weekend. There didn’t seem to be much of an appetite to change, however, a few days later there was some communication from Boxing Canada stating that this boxer would be re-instated as an amateur, provided he revokes his professional license.
This may not be the norm for everyone going forward, and each case will be evaluated on its own merits.
Amateur Coaches Working Professional Corners
In addition to the above complaint, some complaints were filed around amateur coaches who are affiliated with professional boxing. We were called to a meeting approximately 40 minutes prior to the first session at FTS and informed that the tournament officials were now backed into a corner with regards to this issue. A complaint was filed to them regarding this, and the fear was that if Boxing Canada ignored this rule, and the complainant went to AIBA with their complaint, then Boxing Canada could risk being suspended by AIBA.
We were told that it is now official, Boxing Canada will be strictly enforcing this rule going forward. The relevant rule is Boxing Canada Rule 28.2.5, which reads as follows:
28.2.5 Any coach active in professional boxing shall not be allowed to be a coach and/or Second in both AIBA and/or WSB competitions at any levels unless the coach resigns from any involvement in professional boxing for a period of at least six (6) months and is certified by AIBA as a registered Coach.
This rule is derived from AIBA Technical Rule 16.1.2.
A bout in the evening session between 2 Quebec boxers had its decision overturned because the losing boxer’s coach filed a protest due to the fact that a coach in the other corner had worked a pro corner in the past 6 months. The protest was upheld and the “winning” boxer was disqualified, resulting in the “losing” boxer advancing to the next round of the tournament.
I’ve seen some comments on social media suggesting that this was a deliberate move on the part of Boxing Canada. Some comments included “why were they allowed to corner in Regina?” Or “why did Boxing Canada not tell everyone they were going to do this before they spent time and money traveling to Quebec?” I can assure you that this was not the case. Boxing Canada’s enforcement of this rule was in response to the complaints submitted just prior to the first session.
I tabled this item at the Boxing Canada Semi-Annual meeting and the end result is that this rule will be in place at the national level only, until further notice. Boxing Canada President Pat Fiacco will be bringing this to an AIBA meeting in January, with hopes that we can come with something that works better for us in this regard.
2014 Plans
2014 will be a busy year for us. We start with the Brampton Cup, and will finish with the 2014 Bronze Gloves. In between we will see Ontario Winter Games, training camps, interprovincial competitions, and potential new sponsors.
In addition, we are looking at changing the way we split our teams up. Typically we divide them by age group, but right now we are working on a new system, where the teams are divided by gender. Specific Focus will be applied to our female program, and also our Junior/Youth Program.
I’m very happy to report that Boxing Ontario will be hosting the 2015 Canadian Elite Championships, which will be held in the GTA in October of 2014. Specifics are currently being worked out, and will be shared when we have a concrete plan in place. This will be a key tournament to determine who represents Canada at the 2015 Pan-Am games, and as such, I believe that this is a great opportunity for our athletes.
On the topic of the Elite Nationals, going forward we will see a new format for who gets invited to attend. We’ve been typically able to send 4 athletes per weight class for the past few years, but this is no longer the case. Going forward, Boxing Ontario will only be sending one athlete per weight class. The western provinces will be hosting a Western Canadian Championships, as “Team Western” will only be sending one athlete per weight class. The same will apply for “Team Atlantic”.
For any of our athletes who don’t get the nod at the provincial level, another opportunity will be available at the Golden Gloves, as the gold medalists at the Golden Gloves will also be invited to nationals.
Essentially, there will be 6 athletes per weight class…..Team Western, Team Ontario, Team Quebec, Team Atlantic, Golden Gloves Champion, & National Team Member.
As of right now, our Silver Gloves will be held in March and this will be a qualifier for our Senior Open provincials, which will be held in May, with a format commonly seen at National FTS. This should ensure that the right athletes are selected to represent Ontario at the national championships. More details on this will be shared in the New Year.
Keep in mind that these changes will not apply to the Youth/Junior Nationals. The only change coming for this group will be the timing of their tournament. The plan is that the next Youth/Junior Nationals will be held in January of 2015. This tournament will only be for our Youths and Juniors, as Boxing Canada will no longer be having an FTS. With the change in the timing of this tournament, we will most likely change our Bronze Gloves to late November.
Here is a tentative schedule of how 2014 is shaping up for us……
· Brampton Cup January 31 to February 2, 2014 [Brampton] – This will be open to all classifications, except for Senior Male Open.
· 2014 Ontario Winter Games, taking place February 27th to March 2nd, 2014 [Muskoka] – this will be open to Novice/Open Junior and Youth Male & Female. This will serve as the open provincials for our Youth & Junior Boxers.
· Silver Gloves March 27-30, 2014 (GTA) This will be open to Novice and Open Senior Boxers. It will be a qualifier for Senior Open provincials.
· 2015 Provincial Championships – May (Hershey Centre) – this will be open to all novice boxers, and also will serve as a provincial FTS for our senior open boxers.
· Toronto Super Show [Dual Match] May 31st – June 1st MTCC – I have received verbal confirmation that Team Atlantic will be participating in a dual match. They will also be inviting us to the east coast for another dual match.
· CHIN PICNIC Dual Match July 2014 [GTA] – I have verbal confirmation that Quebec will be sending a team for a dual match. I also expect us to be invited to Quebec to compete in one of their events.
· Canadian Golden Gloves July 14-19, 2014 (Cornwall) – As noted, this will be a qualifier for Elite Nationals. Once again this year, the intent is to guarantee all entrants at least 2 bouts. I strongly encourage all Boxing Ontario members to plan to participate in this event.
· North American Indigenous Games July 20-27, 2014 in Regina – Hoping to allow for both novice & open boxers to attend this event.
· CANUSA Games Aug 2014 (Hamilton) https://canusagames.ca/
· 2015 Elite National Championships October in the GTA – Dates & Venue to be announced soon.
· Bronze Gloves Late November 2014 (GTA) – This will be open to Female Sr Open, all novice boxers, and also will serve as the 2nd qualifying tournament for the Junior & Youth Nationals.
· 2015 Junior/Youth Nationals Championships – January 2015 – Location & Dates to be confirmed.
We are currently in discussions with United Promotions, who approached us wanting to help with our grassroots programs. If all goes well, this will get us more exposure, sponsorship/fundraising opportunities, high-level competition, and possibly some Pro-Ams as well. The intent is to start with hosting our Provincial Championships at the Hershey Centre in May. We are currently working on the details, and we expect a press release to be launched early in the New Year.
More details to follow…..
Annual Medicals
For anyone who has a new boxing passport, you will notice that it states that the annual medical is valid for only one year. This can be found on the last page, under note 3. This means that it’s only valid for 365 days after it is performed. Boxing Canada medical rules also require that you have a thorough medical performed every 12 months.
Your annual registration is done by calendar year.
So, if a boxer has a medical in June 2013, registers in September 2013, then their registration will be good until Dec 31, 2014, but their medical expires in June 2014. In this case, the boxer won’t be able to spar or compete beyond June 2014, however their registration will be good until the end of the year.
The technical committee is currently looking at this, and we can expect something coming out soon. In a nutshell, prior to every competition, boxers will need to be able to demonstrate that their annual medical is still valid.
I don’t anticipate policing how clubs operate, but if someone is injured, and their medical is expired, the injured person won’t be covered by our insurance policy.
Public Sparring:
Please note the following excerpt from the CABA Rulebook regarding Public Sessions:
RULE 5 – REGULATIONS CONCERNING NON -TOURNAMENT BOUTS
5.1 Definition
5.1.1 Non-tournament events are bouts between competitors who are not part of a sanctioned tournament event. These bouts include club shows, invitational events, exhibitions and public sessions.
5.1.2 Exhibitions and public sessions are non-competitive bouts where ringside judges will not be used. All other ringside officials must be in attendance (referee, doctors, timekeeper, etc.).
5.2 Sanctions
5.2.1 Bouts may only be conducted as part of an event sanctioned by the appropriate national, provincial or regional authority.
5.3 Approval
5.3.1 All non-tournament events must adhere to the same regulations concerning age, weight and experience as a regular sanctioned tournament as per 5.1.
5.3.2 Competitors, their coaches/seconds, the official-in-charge of the event and the attending physician must all agree to approve the bout.
We’ve had cases in the past where clubs, with pure intentions, would host fundraisers where sparring is included as part of the entertainment for the day.
Please note that these sessions DO require approval by Boxing Ontario, and as such, a sanction form must be submitted as per normal practice. Unfortunately this will bring an additional cost to the host, but we need to ensure that we are in compliance with Boxing Canada rules at all times.
Membership Incentive Program
For anyone who has registered for 2014, you will have received a Boxing Ontario T-Shirt. I hope that you wear this shirt with pride and encourage others to join our great organization. These T-Shirts are also being provided to recreational members, so if you have a friend, co-worker, family member, etc who is interested in joining, please let them know about this incentive.
Also, cash incentives are being provided to clubs, based on the number of members they have. All clubs will receive a cash payment at the end of August, based upon how many rec members they have. Clubs with the most competitive members will also receive a cash prize.
Insurance Coverage
We have a great insurance plan, but like any insurance policy, I hope we never have to make use of it. There seems to be some confusion out there so please be reminded that our coverage is only valid when injuries sustained happen while interacting with other registered Boxing Ontario members.
For example:
Boxing Ontario member sparring with Boxing Ontario member, supervised by Boxing Ontario. coach – covered
Boxing Ontario member sparring with Boxing Ontario member, unsupervised – no coverage
Boxing Ontario member sparring with unregistered member – no coverage
Boxing Ontario member sparring with pro boxer – no coverage
Quest For Gold
Boxing Ontario will be announcing the recipients of the Quest 4 Gold funding on January 10 2014 on our website. The selection process was made by using the following selection criteria:
• 2014 Final Team Selection A Team (Senior) with Champion Included = 40 points
• 2014 National A Team Member = 40 points
• 2014 Final Team Selection B Team (Senior) without Champion Included = 30 points
• Gold Medal Winner 2013 Provincial Championships = 20 points
• Gold Medal Winner 2013 Silver Glove Championships= 10 points
• Gold Medal Winner 2013 Bronze Glove Championships= 10 points
• Win at FTS = 10 points
• Win at Nationals = 10 points
• Win at Provincials = 5 points
• Win at Silver Gloves= 5 points
• Win at Bronze Gloves = 5 points
There will be a Total of 16 Athletes being carded:
Female Youth – 2 half cards / Female Senior – 4 full cards
Male Youth – 5 full cards / Male Senior – 5 full cards
We would like to congratulate all the athletes that competed in Boxing Ontario tournaments in 2013 and wish them all the best in 2014.
New Website
All clubs should have their username and password by now. If you have misplaced the e-mail indicating your information please contact Erik Espinola at [email protected] .
All clubs should have received the Club Coach User Guide for instructions on how to add athletes and coaches. There is a video once you login on how to add athletes to tournaments as well. It is very important to add all your athletes to the website database in order to register them for tournaments.
We have two tournaments open for registration. 2014 Brampton cup and the Ontario Winter Games (junior/youth provincials). The deadline for registration is January 24 2014.
Ontario Winter Games
The Sport Alliance Ontario is very pleased to announce that Muskoka has been selected as official host for the 2014 Ontario Winter Games, taking place February 27th to March 2nd, 2014. Ontario’s most skilled and talented athletes will be showcasing their abilities to reach the podium which also includes the highly talented boxers throughout our great province!
Boxing Ontario is very excited to be back in the Ontario Winter Games. These Games will be the Junior/Youth 2014 Boxing Ontario Provincial championships. It is a great opportunity for our young boxers to be part of such a large sporting event, and the experience obtained will be intangible.
Venue/Accommodations:
JW Marriott The Rosseau Muskoka Resort and Spa
1050 Paignton House Rd. P.O Box 31 Minnet, Ontario P0B 1G0
https://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/yqajw-jw-marriott-the-rosseau-muskoka-resort-and-spa/
I realize that there is a lot going on and it may be difficult just by reading emails and newsletters, etc. I am planning to hold an info session for anyone who has questions and/or wants more info. My plan is to do this on the Friday at the Brampton Cup, following weigh-ins & medicals.
In closing, I’d like to wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season. I look forward to the next year as president of your organization.
As always, if you have concerns or questions, feel free to drop me a line at [email protected]
One last thing, I almost forgot, please remember to renew your registrations ASAP. The more members we have, the stronger we are, and it will open the door for increased funding opportunities. Also, a current registration is required if you want to spar or compete.
Yours in Amateur Boxing
Mike Power
President
Boxing Ontario
