Love at first sight

The Amateur Boxing Association of Sri Lanka headed by Dian Gomes has made vast strides in the recent past. To be precise, it’s only just four years since the sport of boxing adopted a new outlook and from that point onwards the sport has gone from strength to strength which ultimately ended in a positive result of a Sri Lankan boxer qualifying to the Olympics after a lapse of almost four decades.

The vital change took place due to the bold step taken by the officials of the ABA in hiring a foreign coach. In that they went marketing to the correct destination. Cuba as the world of boxing knows churns out world class boxers on a regular basis.So it has been the right decision of deciding to get down experienced coaches from this country.

It began with Frometa Matos four years ago; he cemented the steps to perfection and laid the foundation for Sri Lanka boxing to reach great heights as never seen before.

When his time was ripe to say goodbye he had put Sri Lanka in the map of world boxing. The ABA stuck to its guns as they brought in another Cuban who had more experience that Matos but was unable to achieve his goal due to ill health and had to go back to his homeland prematurely.

Undeterred the ABA continued scouting for another Cuban and now comes the third Cuban coach in line. He is 46-year-old Rafael Ramirez Elias who landed in Sri Lanka on December 29.

Looking at him you could never say he is a boxer but it’s when you speak to him that you understand that he has spent more than half of his life in the ring. A man who has boxed not more than in the junior meets in Cuba but took to coaching seriously.
The Sunday Times had an opportunity of meeting this slight built figure, a man who has a master’s degree from Havana University in physical culture and physical education and sports. Added to that a specialized figure in boxing at Cuba who is a regional, continental and Olympic coach.

These qualifications have taken him to various countries around the globe mostly as a coach. He says he began his life as a coach when he was just 19 years old. Concentrating more on his homeland or precisely in his province Guantanamo where he says there are over 100 coaches. For all of them he is the chief coach the position which he achieved during the early stages of his coaching career.

He proudly mentions that in his province there are eight Olympic gold medallists. Anyone can imagine just how much this sport is flourishing in Cuba. There is immense competition at provincial level in Cuba and you have to be at your best to stay in the top. Once you relax another top boxer emerges from another province.

Before coming over to Sri Lanka he had a six year coaching stint in Pakistan from 1993 to 1998. During this period he has produced medal winning pugilists in Pakistan at Asian Games held in Hiroshima Japan and Bangkok, SAF Games, and Commonwealth Games held in Canada and Malaysia.

He also got four Pakistan boxers qualified to the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and some of these achievements were for the first time in Pakistan’s boxing history. Since his contract in Pakistan ended in 1998 he has been coaching pugilists in his province before he was called up the Cuban Boxing Federation to take over duties in Sri Lanka.

He says he accepted the invitation to coachwith open arms. The main reason being that he has seen Sri Lanka boxers participating in international tournaments since 1986. When he first saw them they were nowhere and most of them did not go beyond the first round.They were taken as easy meat by their opponents.

But from the recent past they have made a great impact and today the Sri Lankan boxers are held in high esteem and are a respected lot, “even I was surprised’ said Elias. Of course all credit should go to the first Cuban coach Frometa Matos whom he spoke high of. “He has done a wonderful job for Sri Lanka boxing although his successor Trottman Dalley could not continue for long”.

For Elias it’s too early to say much about the boys under him. He has been training with them only for just five days since he landed. But in this short period he was impressed with the boys. “They are a hard working lot and very disciplined which are the two main things you need”. He says.

“The way they are being looked after by the local association with accommodation and the facilities is fantastic. Because boxing is a tough sport and the background for the boxers should be at the best”.

“If Sri Lanka can continue the way they are doing I can assure you that they could produce world class boxers. Believe me I was fascinated with the interest taken and the facilities they are being provided”.

When asked about the language barrier as Cubans speak Spanish. He said “communication won’t be a problem. I won’t find it difficult because of my experience in Pakistan. In fact I did not know English but learnt it in Pakistan”.

In conclusion he said “now I am a Sri Lankan. I have been given an important assignment in uplifting Sri Lanka boxing. Yes I am sure with these kind of hard working boys I can fulfil my ambition of producing top boxers and continue the good work initiated by my colleague Matos”.