The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

AFTER occupying the chair as the new president of the Bahamas Amateur Boxing Federation, Vincent Strachan will have to vacate office as new elections have been set for Friday, August 31.

According to outgoing president Wellington Miller, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) didn't accept the results of the BABF and they are null and void.

"AIBA said they didn't give us permission to hold the elections," Miller said. "We started writing to them from December 21 last year asking them for permission to hold the elections on April 21.

Results

"After we didn't hear from them, we went on to have the elections and we sent in the results. They wrote us back and told us that they didn't give us permission to have the elections then. They have now given us permission to hold it at the end of August."

Miller said they have set the new date for Friday, August 31 from 5-8:30 pm in the ballroom at the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture. He said AIBA was advised to have a representative present and they are just waiting on their confirmation.

"We related to them why we went ahead with the elections because they were late in responding to us," Miller stated. "We had delegates in from the Family Islands and so we didn't want to delay it."

With the new date set, Miller said nominations have been closed with three persons vying for president. Vincent Strachan will once again be challenged by Ikenna Johnson and they will be joined by Ronn Rodgers in running for the top spot.

All three persons have a slate of officers that have been accepted before the nomination deadline. There will be nominations accepted from the floor during the election process.

"There's a lot of interest in boxing. I'm happy for it," Miller stated. "People want to come in and push the programme along the way to get boxing going again in the country."

Strachan, a former president who won 7-3 over Johnson in the April elections, said he's not concerned about the outcome of the new elections.

"I'm looking for the same results or even better," he insisted. "I'm confident. I think even now, we have an even stronger team than we had in the past. We have two of the most experienced amateur boxers on our team."

He was referring to Nathaniel Knowles, the Bahamas' first Central American and Caribbean Games' medalist, who will be running for a vice president position and Pat 'the Centreville Assassin' Strachan, a former amateur/professional boxer, who will be seeking the secretary general post.

Sherman Johnson, like Knowles, a former police officer, will also be running for a vice president; Wellington Smith will be back for treasurer, a position he won at the last election, while Anastisa Knowles from Lowe Sound, Andros, will be seeking the assistant secretary/treasurer posts.

"I think we have the best team," Strachan stated. "I believe we will win. We won before and I believe the people who supported me have agreed to support me again. So we look for a great victory once again."