Big dreams for STHATS’ boxing programme after World Boxing president’s visit

Boris van der Vorst, president of World Boxing visited St. Andrew Technical High School (STATHS) during his five-day stay in Jamaica. The school only recently started its boxing programme under the guidance of past student and boxing enthusiast Wayne Roberts after badgering principal Dr. Worrrel Hibbert to do so.

A small group of students are exposed to the rudiments of boxing in a narrow, oblong, well lit room which is an addition to the school’s gym at the rear of the auditorium, from which one can see a big open space that coach Roberts points to as his dream for the venue for the inaugural High School Boxing Championship. Roberts’ dream coincides with that of the president of the Jamaica Boxing Association president (JBA), Stephen Bomber Jones and was endorsed by the school’s principal.

Principal Hibbert gave a guided tour of the school’s boxing spaces to president van der Vorst. He indicated that he was not originally sold on the idea of introducing the sport to the students but after seeing the marked difference in the students who had joined the programme as well as the response from their families and other stakeholders he was fully sold on it and was ready to expend it. He is hoping that eventually the school will be provided with more resources in terms of equipment and training exposure to help them get even greater benefits from having boxing at his school.

Some of the student boxers participated in, and at least one of them earned a medal at the Jamaica’s Boxing Association’s Gloves Over Guns Futures monthly boxing showcase which was held at the Stanley Couch in Parade Gardens, Kingston, a few days prior to the visit. The boxing showcase has been gaining popularity as it gives the young boxers the opportunity to display what they have been taught and grow in the sport.

President van der Vorst was pleased by what he saw of the programme which is in its germination stage as well as by what he was told is the vision for the programme in the long run. He encouraged the students to keep learning and keep on boxing. He said that based on what he saw he was looking for big things from Jamaica’s boxing initiatives.

The visitors were treated to an energetic performance backed up by the playing of drums, by the drama club as part of the tour of the school.

President Bomber Jones said that the ultimate goal for school boxing is to have a high school boxing championship with at least sixteen participating schools, and eventually for it to rival championship at that level.

“Our visit to STATHS was truly inspiring. We were warmly welcomed by principal Dr. Worrel Hibbert and treated to a powerful performance by the art department before watching the schools boxing team in action, even sparring with the World Boxing president Boris van der Vorst. I was very encouraged and excited to see how blown away he was by the talent and the heart and the passion on display and as a board we are confident that with STATHS now joining our futures program more schools will follow helping us to reach our goal of 16 schools for national high school championships. We are very excited and believe that the future of boxing in Jamaica is bright”, said Jones.