(FEB 12) Trinidad And Tobago's
(T&T) first female world boxing champion, Ria Ramnarine has been
quite busy lately, albeit out of the ring. Having recently
attended the WBC Convention in Mexico on her own steam, Ria said
she was inspired by the boxing greats she met, including the
legend, Muhammad Ali.
“While there was no chance of speaking with him, his mere
presence was an inspiration. Meeting so many other world
champions was fantastic that it was almost overwhelming!", Added
Ria.
Ria told WBAN, "I had the
pleasure and privilege to interact with some of the best boxers
in the world and I worked alongside some of them when we visited
the Association of Parents with Mentally Handicapped Children.
Champions like 2012 Gold Medalist Nicola Adams, Miguel Cotto,
Terry Norris, Christy Martin, Mia St. John, Sharon Anyos and
Alicia Ashley were present and the example set by these
individuals both as athletes and humanitarians was very
humbling."
Ria said, "I also
had the opportunity to meet folks like Jill Diamond, some of the
friends I made on Facebook some years ago, Mary Ann Owen and
Butch Gottlieb who consider me a daughter, and naturally I got a
lot of new friends. The learning experience of the “business” of
boxing was also crucial and it is something that I have
benefitted from greatly”.
No stranger to
displaying her own humanitarian side, Ramnarine is a founding
member and Ambassador of The Crossroads Organisation (TCO), a
young non-profit organisation whose stated mission is “to make a
positive impact on the lives of those in need through direct aid
or by acting as a conduit to other local, regional or
international organizations which may be better able to assist.
Ria Assisted
in Amateur Boxing Championships..
The Trinidad & Tobago National Amateur Boxing Championships took
place from Jan 30 to Feb 3, 2013, and Ria assisted the
Amateur Association with regards to media coverage. In an attempt to
highlight all the gyms and boxers before the championships she
visited a number of gyms throughout the island to gather
information for the press. Many gyms and boxers who were never
mentioned in the newspaper before suddenly found themselves
being noticed and becoming the center of attention. Ria also arranged
for radio and television interviews for the coaches and boxers
and it was a successful plan. With their name being “out there”,
they found added motivation. Ramnarine, a four time world
champion, indicated that she was more than happy to work
alongside the amateur boxers and the administrators.
She said, “This opportunity provided me with the perfect
opportunity to give back to boxing in T&T and to build my
experience at both the administrative and community level. The
amateur boxers and their coaches were really pleased at seeing
their names and photos in print. I have always maintained that
sport is one’s ticket to the world. It brings communities,
countries and the world together like nothing else can. T&T has
an abundance of talent and I’d like to see it explored. The
youth, young men and women need the avenues to harness and hone
these talents”. She was also recruited by the television station
ACTS 25 to do the commentary on the boxing matches."
Having been applauded for her efforts as “media liaison
officer”, Ria was publicly thanked and then asked to stay on for
the Elite Female Continental Championships due to take place in
May 2013 in Trinidad. She was also asked to handle the entire
Marketing aspect of the championships but that is something she
said she needed to consider seriously before giving an answer.
A Level one coach in boxing, Ramnarine is still very much active
in training and said she will accept the opportunity to compete
at any time. Based at Fine Line Fight Factory in Chaguanas,
Trinidad and she trains five times a week. (When preparing for
world title bouts, she makes the trip to Bonnie Canino’s gym
which she considers her foreign based camp and second home).
“Training is a
given. With or without any bouts in sight, I always prefer to
maintain a certain level of fitness and to continue increasing
my knowledge. And of course to keep my weight in check. Being in
the gym consistently also gives me the opportunity to assist our
amateur boxers”, added Ria.
Her coach, Bharrath
Ramoutar, said that Ramnarine has no definite upcoming bouts so
he is quite happy that she was involved in the National
Championships and other endeavours. “Ria has recently completed
two basic courses, Sport Administration and Business
Communication, and has a genuine desire to make a difference to
the nation’s youth so I am sure she will be an asset to T&T and
boxing, both in and out of the ring.”
Ria is usually
featured in Trinidad’s magazines and newspaper supplements,
sometimes gracing the front pages or centerfolds. But quite by
chance, she has now found herself on the other side of the
camera. During her visits to the gyms, she was the
“photographer”.
“I burrowed a camera
to ensure I got good pics to send to the media. Then I fell in
love with the darn camera (lol).. I’d always loved photography
but could never afford a really good camera nor had I the time
to do any courses. But with this cam, I’ve been taking really
great shots. Lo and behold, I got my first official assignment
on Friday 8th February. Yep, I got paid. Oh, and it was a
football team I was shooting. The manager seemed pleased with
the pics but I still have to get the official feedback. We’ll
see how that goes”.
Ria is also a
certified “Boxing For All” coach – having been certified by
Bonnie Canino after completing the relevant courses. She trains
private clients and includes a range of cardio, calisthenics,
boxing and kickboxing exercises in her workouts.
“I think this year
will be one where I choose what I will do after I retire. The
Amateur Boxing Association has a lot of faith that I can make a
major difference to boxing in T&T and they have been including
me in a lot of their activities. I have the option to further my
coaching courses as well and then my private practice with
fitness has room to grow. My fiancé wants to open a business
together as well, so I have a lot of good options. For the
moment though, I’ll just keep exploring these options and see
what works the best”. “I know it is pretty late for this, but I
want to say Happy 2013 to the entire boxing fraternity and
continued best wishes to you Sue and WBAN. You have been doing
such a fantastic job and I do believe congratulations are in
order for you and your team”, concluded Ria.
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