The first working day of the World Boxing Association (WBA) and INDEPORTES Antioquia Introductory Judges and Referees Course was a big success. American referee Tony Weeks, judges and referees Raúl Caiz Jr. from the United States, Gustavo Padilla from Panama and Alfredo Polanco from Mexico provided their knowledge to the course attendees, who wish to become officials of the sport.
The first topic this Saturday morning was ethics in sports, especially for judges and referees. Polanco, through videos of old fights, explained the responsibility of a referee and a judge in a fight, and how a bad or delayed action can affect the life of an athlete, not only economically but also their health.
Later, Padilla guided the attendees on the arbitration procedure. He taught them about the proper uniforms, how to walk the ring and the attributions of a referee. Then, Caiz Jr. and Weeks described the signs of fatigue, illegal punches, and actions of boxers that every referee should be aware of.
Weeks, a spectacle in the ring
In the afternoon, they went to the Carlos Mauro Hoyos Coliseum in the city of Medellín, Antioquia, where they practiced in the ring. Undoubtedly, the attraction for aspiring judges and boxing referees was Tony Weeks, who with the help of Raul Caiz Jr. and young boxers did a sparring session. He explained the audience how to act in different situations in the ring.
The charisma of the great referee from Las Vegas crossed the language barrier and motivated the assistants even more, who enjoyed his precise movements and wise advice. All this under the premise of preserving the health of the boxer above all.
“Camino al ring”, the group that touched everyone
The boys from Camino al Ring, a social boxing program part of the International Peace Group, also attended the first Introductory Judges and Referees Course. These boys dream of a better future in harmony. They are boys who decided to enter the world of boxing and avoid the road of violence.
The WBA, INDEPORTES Antioquia and Tony Weeks recognized the work of the boys, especially César Cardona, who helps to channel the energy of these boys in favor of sports training, giving them a small present and assisting them in a personalized way so they could understand everything even more.
The activities will continue and finish this Sunday. The top five students will be given the privilege of going to the WBA 96th World Convention, which will be held in Medellin from October 30 to November 3.
