|
President Sulaiman also reported
that European Boxing Union President
and WBC Executive Vice President
Ruben Martinez of Spain underwent a
10-hour surgery yesterday and is
still in intensive care. President
Sulaiman said, 'We continue to pray
to God that he will be okay. We keep
asking for your prayers for our dear
friend and vice president.'
All of the WBC's regional
championships reported great
activity and success in the past
year. Reports were given by WBC
International Championship Chairman
Mauro Betti of Italy; Continental
Americas Championship Chairman (and
Caribbean Boxing Federation
President) Roy Van Putten of Aruba,
WBC Youth Championship Chairman (and
North American Boxing Federation
President) Rex Walker of the United
States, United States National
Boxing Championship Chairman (and
WBC Secretary General) Gabriel
Penagaricano of Puerto Rico, and WBC
Female Championship Secretary Ed
Pearson of Canada. Latin America
Championship Chairman (and Central
American Boxing Federation First
Vice President) Alberto Guerra of
Panama left the convention earlier
today, but a report was given in his
absence. A report on WBC Muay Thai
was given by Championship Chairman
(and WBC Vice President and Asian
Boxing Council President) Gen. Kovid
Bhakdibhumi of Thailand.
The WBC's November ratings were
published today. The ratings
committee chairman is Oriental and
Pacific Boxing Federation president
Frank Quill of Australia, and the
vice chairman is NABF past president
Claude Jackson of the United States.
The committee members are Mauro
Betti of Italy, Emmanuel Flores of
Mexico, Central American Boxing
Federation First Vice President
Alberto Guerra of Panama, CIS &
Slovenian Boxing Bureau President
Edmund Lipinsky of Russia, African
Boxing Union Secretary General
Celestino Mindra of Uganda, European
Boxing Union Vice President Peter
Stucki of Switzerland, Asian Boxing
Council Secretary Edward Thangarajah
of Sri Lanka, Daniel Van De Wiele of
Belgium, and Julio Ernest Vila of
Argentina. The committee secretary
is Luis Medina of Mexico, and
regional advisors are the WBC Board
of Governors, Jesus Erosa of Mexico,
Alfredo Jaime of Mexico, Joe Koizumi
of Japan, and Renato Van Putten of
Aruba.
The WBC Medical Advisory Board
report was given by Board Chairman
Dr. Paul Wallace of the United
States. The WBC's 2nd Medical World
Boxing Congress will be held from
January 24 to 28, 2007, in Cancun,
Mexico.
Chairman Bismarck Morales of
Nicaragua gave the report on the
Ratings Appeals Committee, and the
legal report was given by WBC Legal
Committee Chairman Robert Lenhardt
of the United States. Ring Officials
Board Secretary Bruce McTavish of
the Philippines gave the report on
the successful Ring Officials
Committee seminar.
The WBC Hall of Fame elects four
boxers each year, two alive and two
deceased. Roberto Duran of Panama
was elected in his first year or
eligibility, as well as Mate Parlov
of Croatia, who participated in the
first cruiserweight world
championship. In the deceased
category, former middleweight and
light heavyweight world champion
Dick Tiger of Nigeria and former
flyweight world champion Yoshio
Shirai of Japan were elected.
African Boxing Union Vice President
Dr. Peter Ngatane of South Africa
suggested that December 5, the
anniversary of the day that
President Sulaiman was first elected
in 1975, be proclaimed Jose Sulaiman
Day for Safety in Boxing. A motion
was made that the Board of Governors
approved by acclamation.
In his closing speech, President
Sulaiman said, 'I believe that this
is one of the most important and
most worthwhile conventions that we
have had in several years. It's been
in such a beautiful place, getting
together to enjoy all of our
friendships.
'Boxing is going through a difficult
moment at this time. Some important
television organizations are trying
to take the WBC and other
institutions out of its authority in
this sport and trying to take boxing
away. There is also a great problem
that I hope we can resolve very soon
in which there is a commission in
the United States that is trying to
take away boxing in that country
from the rest of the world.
Fortunately, the United States is
full of great boxing people, people
who have worked and devoted many
years of their lives for the good of
our sport, and they will be the
people that will keep the United
States as part of the great world
that we have.
'Our intention for the future will
be to go out in the world carrying
the message of peace and goodwill,
to show the world that our sport of
boxing is not a sport of violence,
but a sport of compassion. It is a
sport that cares for people, that
cares for society, as you can see at
the end of the fight when one of the
boxers goes to meet the other one to
wish him good luck, to offer him a
rematch and tell him how good he
was. If the nations of the world
could do the same as we do in
boxing, then we would have a
different world.
'We all have children, and we don't
want to leave a world full of blood
and hate, of bad faith, of
bitterness, envy and jealousy. We
would like to show the world that
there can be unity and friendship
and hope, and meet each other
without any reservation of race,
religion, or nationality.
'I kindly ask all of you to go back
to your countries and follow the
principles and hearts of the WBC
members to carry the sport as an
example of peace. I have lived my
life, and I expect that I might be
close to the end. But if it was not
for boxing, I would not have been
living. If it was not for the people
that I have met in the world of
boxing, I would not have been happy,
and I have been happy all of my
life. If you know me at all, I like
to smile all of the time, but I
would never settle for abuse of
power or injustice.
'I would like to thank every member
of the Board of Governors. Today,
November 3, 2006, I declare the
convention closed, and I look
forward to seeing you all next year
in Manila.' |
