WBC Completes 47th Annual Boxing Convention

The WBC’s 47th annual convention closed a day earlier than scheduled today in Jeju. WBC President Dr. José Sulaimán said that the change in plans was made to accommodate requests from several members of the Board of Governors who had conflicting travel plans.

In his closing speech, which was cut short when he was overcome by emotion at the remembrance of friends who had passed away, President Sulaiman said, “It is time for me to close the 47th annual convention. Mr. Kashiba just mentioned something that is very important for me. AIBA brought a new system of scoring. I think that it was good to be tried and presented, but the results are that amateur boxing is lost.

“Amateurs boxers coming up are lost. It is not as it used to be before. We are sick and tired of the misinterpretation of coaches and boxers to ‘stick and run.’ That is not boxing. The amateur tournament that we are going to start will be with the professional boxing people – the professional boxing trainers that have the high technology that boxing is today.

“I love boxing, but I just cannot continue seeing amateur boxing the way it is today. So we must change the goal of the WBC and we must change the path of boxing. We cannot leave it in the hands of politicians. We have to bring it to people who really know boxing, and that will be one of the strongest and most determined programs of the WBC for the future.

“Every time that I come to the convention, I say that I am very tired. This convention was, physically, not the best for me. But every face that I see, every person that I meet, every world that I hear gives me a new enthusiasm to continue my life in the sport of boxing. You make the conventions. Without you, there would be no WBC. Without you, nothing I would think could ever take effect.

“So my heart, today, as I have always done, I give it to every single member of the people that are sitting at the main tables, because they are the leaders of the sport of boxing of the world. It’s them who accomplish our programs. It’s them who fight, who suffer, who receive attacks and counter with all that they have for the good of the sport that we love.

“And to all of you – you are boxing people. You are the people that make boxing and, believe me, the few years that God might still give me to live, after losing my dear friends…I’m sorry…thank you.

“On November the 5th, I declare officially closed the 47th convention of the WBC and I’m looking forward to see you during the coming year at the next convention. Thank you.”

The official attendance of the convention was 597. 547 people travelled to Jeju from other countries, and 50 came from Korea. The Ramada Plaza Jeju, the host hotel, was booked to capacity and attendants also stayed at two other hotels. 104 ring officials attended the convention, the highest ever. 39 promoters, from 20 different countries, were in attendance, as well.

Also on the convention’s closing day:

$10,000 was raised to aid in the flood relief effort in the Philippines by the sale of WBC keychains and teeshirts, and personal donations from Arena-Box Promotion and WBC members. President Sulaiman added a personal donation of $5,000 for a total of $15,000. The money will be distributed to those in need by Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation Vice President Eric Buhain of the Philippines.

Mr. Buhain said, “Don Jose, thank you for leading this drive. Thank you very much. What I will do when I get back is to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to do what the WBC always does with the WBC World Boxing Cares program of Jill Diamond – invite some of our Filipino champions and go to the kids who were devastated by the floods.

“And prior to delivering all the goods to the kids, report to you what is going to be needed and what this money, coming from your hearts, will be used for so that you will know. And after the event, I will report back on the names of the kids, the children, and the places where they are right now. So, thank you, thank you – thank you so much.”

Regarding WBC World Boxing Cares, Jill Diamond of the United States said, “I don’t really have a report. Really, what I have is the extension of gratitude for everybody here who has given of their time and their generosity to be a part of this program. I think we’re the only organization that reaches out globally in the way that we do, with little publicity, very little money donated by the WBC, the Reyes family, and Mr. Sulaiman himself, who out of pocket helps us bring little toys and gifts to the children that we visit.

“Another thing that I don’t know if you all realize is that when athletes go to visit, or put their name behind organizations, they always charge. Our athletes give of their hearts and their times and the only thing that they’ve ever asked for is, perhaps, transportation to get somewhere. But our athletes come and they embrace the children and they teach them not only how to inspire them, because most of them come from poor circumstances, but that gyms are safe places, that they’re havens, that boxing is one avenue out.

“One thing that I would ask is that, in addition to your time, if you feel comfortable to donate toys or a small amount on money or anything that can help us with sponsorships, because we’re doing this all over the world, and we’re doing this really out of pocket and on our own. That would be very, very helpful.

“But mostly, this has been an amazing experience. I feel very priviledged to be a part of the World Boxing Council, to be a part of a group of people that would give so much and so often, without any return other than the feeling that they have inside. We’ve done this for what – three years? – and it’s grown amazingly. We’ve had over a hundred visits all over the world, from Thailand, we’re helping to build a shelter in Guyana with the help of Peter [Abdool] and Roy [Van Putten]. It’s an unbelievable outreach.

“We’ve reached across oceans, over mountains, and we have inspired, even if it’s only for one moment, to distract people from circumstancees that are beyond our control and give them some love and some hugs and some inspiration. So, thank you all for your participation. Thank you, Jose, for allowing us to do this and giving so much of your own money and time and effort for World Boxing Cares. WBC World Boxing Cares is something that we can all be very proud of. Thank you.”

After a DVD of WBC World Boxing Cares was shown to the assembly, Jill said, “We’ve all done this together. World Boxing Cares is every person in this room, and we’ve done this basically with no money, just with donations from people. This video, this little DVD contains a lot of your favorite boxers, and some of you are on it. They’re going to have these at the front desk if anybody wants to buy one. It will help getting the teeshirts and the little gloves and the things that we give the kids. It’s pure, tangible recognition of something that all of you in this room have contributed to.”

President Sulaiman commented, “Having the feeling in my heart every time that I saw those children, and one of them being very sick, not even able to smile, smiling. Or not even able to raise their hand, and raised their hands to wave, or close their fist, or put on a boxing glove. That is to me, one of the biggest prizes that my I can obtain in my passing through life, believe me. Whenever we take a champion, you cannot imagine the meaning of their presence to all the little kids.”

The WBC World Medical Advisory Board report was given by Dr. Mario Sturla of Italy that will be posted soon on wbcboxing.com. After the report, President Sulaiman said, “From his report, I would like to make several recommendations to the Board. The first recommendation would be that we put in our championship rules that a doctor, an official medical representative, will be appointed for the training of all champions and challengers.

“Today, we don’t know what happens in the gym, we don’t know what happens during jogging, nothing. And we have found during investigations of the past that many of the problems have happened during the training period and in the gymnasium. So I kindly ask you, one of my colleagues, to please make a motion that one doctor must be mandatorily appointed for every one of the champions and challengers to work during the whole training period.

“The second thing that came to my mind during Dr. Sturla’s report is that we must go back and work, so that in every country there should be a national medical committee for boxing. Even in Mexico, that is so, so strong in boxing, we do have a national boxing federation; we do not have a national medical committee. Thailand, for example, is one country that desperately needs one. Another one is Indonesia, and many, many other countries of the world. I think that starting from my own country, Mexico, we need to have a national boxing medical association.

“My third thought that came with his report is to decide to hold a World Medical Congress every five years because the first congress was held in Aruba, and the second was held 10 years later in Mexico. So I think that we should go every five years. My last recommendation is that the report read by Dr. Sturla has some scientific recommendations that we don’t understand very well, and that he can give it to us so we will publish it on the internet and everywhere we can throughout the world. ”

OPBF President Tsuyoshi Yasukochi of Japan was appointed as the head ot fhe committee to investigate accidents in the ring. OPBF Vice President Eric Buhain of the Philippines and Asian Boxing Council Secretary Patrick Cusick of Thailand volunteered to join the committee. Mr. Cusick also gave his report on the WBC Muay Thai Championships.

Several other issues were addressed, and several committee reports were given. After WBC Ring Officials Board Chairman Hubert Minn of the United States gave his report on the judges seminar conducted by himself, and and the referees seminar conducted by Ring Officials Board Secretary Bruce McTavish of the Philippines, President Sulaiman commented, “I think Hubert if one of the committee chairman that always does more than we expect.”

Luis Escalona of the United States, Chairman of the Safety Committee, gave his report on the compliance of promoters with the WBC’s 30- and seven-day advance pre-weigh ins.

Female Championships Chairman Ed Pearson of Canada gave his report on WBC Female Championships. Ed said, “This has been a banner year – we will have had at least 46 fights this year. It has been an honor to chair this committee, and we hope to have another great year in 2010.”

Gabriel I. Penagaricano Jr. of Puerto Rico was appointed to the WBC legal committee.

To avoid controversies, an amendment to the rules was approved that in all WBC title fights – world championships and regional championships – the champion and challenger must give the hand wraps used in the fight to the WBC supervisor in attendance.

It was reported that Mike Tyson accepted the proposal that a reproduction of his fist and forearm will be used as the trophy given to recipients of the WBC’s annual awards. The trophies will be called, “The Green and Gold Fist Award.”

The 2010 convention in Mexico will coincide with the 200th anniversary of Mexican Independence and the 100th anniversary of the Mexican Revolution.

A motion was passed for the 2111 convention to be held in Turkey, in either Istanbul or Ankara.