Referee Barnor-Suspended
The
Ghana Boxing Authority (GBA) has suspended boxing referee-judge Roger Banor as
a licensee of the Authority for four consecutive international/domestic boxing
tournaments effective June 17th for his abysmal showing during the
Emmanuel Tagoe and Roland Pontillas fight at the Accra Sports Stadium on April
26….
Referee
Barnor who officiated the said controversial bout came under serious
condemnation from all quarters of the sport for what many described as open
bias officiating during the WBA international fight between the two boxers
which Tagoe won on points after recovering from a fourth round knockdown.
The
thongs of condemnations which came his way were further cemented by former WBC
Super featherweight champion Professor Azumah Nelson, boxing promoter Henry
Manly-Spain as well as Ambassador Ray Quarcoo president of the Ghana Amateur
Boxing Federation (GABF)
According
to a letter dated June 17th
and signed by the Secretary-General of the GBA Mr. Patrick Johnson and addressed
to referee Barnor noted that at a meeting held on June 4 the GBA Board
unanimously decided that “your poor performance on the fight night constituted
amongst other acts of misconduct and failure in your official duties for which
the appropriate sanctions should be applied.”
The
letter copied to the World Boxing
Council (WBC), World Boxing Federation (WBF), World Boxing Association (WBA), World
Boxing Organisation (WBO), World Boxing Union (WBU), Commonwealth Boxing
Council (CBC), African Boxing Union (ABU), Azumah Nelson and Henry Manly-Spain,
continued “You are therefore suspended
as a licensee of the GBA for four consecutive international and domestic boxing
tournaments effective June 17th to which all boxing sanctioning
bodies have been informed accordingly of this decision.”
The
letter further stated that the board also took a very serious view of the interview
granted unethically by him to various media and press houses after the fight in
which referee Barnor unfairly castigated certain prominent fellow licensees of
the GBA and renowned boxing personalities including former World Boxing
champion Azumah Nelson and the promoter/manager Mr. Henry Manly Spain of
GoldenMike Promotion Syndicate for their post fight observations.
Referee
Barnor who announced his premature retirement from the sport only to rescind
his decision following what he described as unfair criticism after the bout has
been tasked by the board to render
unqualified and appropriate apologies to Messrs Azumah Nelson and Henry Manly
Spain which must be carried with equal prominence in the media as was the case
in the various interview he granted.
Commenting
on the decision president of the GBA Mr. Peter Zwennes said they adopted the report of
the committee put up to investigate the issues to serve as a deterrent to him
as well as others budding young referees who might want to
bring the sport to shame.
He
disclosed that the GBA is also lodging a complaint with the Benin boxing
federation over the behavior of judge Adohn Bertin who according to the GBA boss scored a lopsided score
118-111 during the fight. His scoring in recent times when he comes to Ghana
have been questionable, he added
“The Rules and regulations
are there to guide every referee-judge, they should not distort or dissuade them
but keep to them and do their best to interpret rules for the good of the
sport.” He advised up and coming referee-judges.
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