2-Star Referees & Judges (R&Js), Cut Technician and International Technical Officials (ITOs) Courses have been successfully concluded within the ASBC Asian U22 Men and Women Boxing Championships.

The ASBC Asian U22 Men and Women Boxing Championships took place in the capital of Thailand, being a bright start for the new IBA and ASBC competition year. However, it was not only boxers who benefited from this remarkable event; the 1-Star R&Js, National Technician Officials, coaches and team doctors had an opportunity to broaden their knowledge while attending the IBA 2-Star R&J, ITO and Cut Technician Courses that also took place in Bangkok during the tournament.

“The ASBC U22 Championships marked the start of the 2023 IBA Development year with a well-planned programme between both the Asian Boxing Confederation and IBA, incorporating a combination of high-level courses”, – said IBA Development Director Chris Roberts OBE.

The IBA 2-Star R&J Course started on January 17 and, as always, consisted of two parts – theory and practice. The theoretical part included a series of lectures with focus on the updated IBA Technical and Competition Rules, with the practical part taking place directly during the boxing sessions. The IBA ITO Course was held 5 days from January 18 to January 22 according to the recently updated course program which now includes practice near the FOP, Q&A sessions with the ITOs working at the championships, First-Aid workshop and constant practical assessment by the instructor before and after the sessions.

“The International Technical Official (ITO) course has had a redesign and incorporates a combination of both classroom and on-site learning. We have been very conscious of the experience out there and the training gap, but have managed to harness these key learning opportunities with our continuous professional development programme which we have applied in the past six months, along with the projected training requirements for 2023. The IBA R&J 2 Star course has been well received, with some high-quality applicants attending the course, which was demonstrated with the positive turn out of results throughout the U22 Championships”, added Mr. Roberts

“The recent ITO course was an eye-opening experience for me as I got to observe and learn how a prestigious international tournament like the ASBC U22 Championships was run and got to understand many roles and technicalities that go on behind an event. We also got a chance to hear from many veteran officials who shared their experience, and it helped me to understand the significance and importance of an ITO role even more. It was a great event that connected participants from all over the region. I would like to thank IBA for this opportunity and look forward to future educational projects in the future”, – noted Leona Hui, the ITO Course participant from Singapore Boxing Association.

The IBA Cut Technician Course took place over the period January 18 – January 21 and was extended up to 4 days with the aim to provide more practice at the competition venue. As part of the course, participants were actively involved in practical exercises and lectures on the following topics: hand wrapping technique, corner care and full cut technician service.

“The Cut Technician Course was a wonderful experience. I am grateful to IBA and Thailand Boxing Association for conducting the Course. Being a female, I raised concerns about the plans to split the course over two tournaments. My concerns were handled with compassion and the issue was resolved quickly and professionally. The course was well prepared and conducted in an environment conducive to learning. I have learnt skills that will help me throughout my career. This program will help me to navigate my skills to support high performance athletes with immensely excellent tools that I will use during the challenging situations during the bout”, – said Satinder Kau, the Cut Technician Course participant from Boxing Australia.

As a part of the IBA Continuous Development Program the Cut Technician Instructor – Mr Denis Kolesnik – also organized a series of hand wrapping workshops for the coaches and team doctors held during the break at the venue.

“With a fresh outlook on development, we have added a new design and feel to the Cut Technician Course; applicants applied themselves throughout the duration of the course, learning new skills provided by our subject matter expert and IBA Cut Technician Instructor, Mr Denis Kolesnik.

With extremely positive and well received comments by the ASBC President, Mr Pichai, we are keen to work together to develop new educational projects and build up the next generation of officials in Asia. We look forward to our continued work in this space through Q1 and Q2, with a further 4 high-level courses to take place against the World Boxing Tour Golden Belt Series in Marrakesh, from February 1 onwards”, – commented Chris Roberts OBE.

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