Rising boxing talent Raith Ramnath is crying foul after being placed in an alleged unevenly-matched bout with United States-based T&T fighter Jewel Lambert at the just concluded National Boxing Championships at the Jean Pierre Complex in Mucurapo.
The fight cost Ramnath her third loss in her short career, but issues of under-handedness angered her at a press conference at the Alicia's Guest House in St Ann's on Tuesday.
Ramnath's management team, headed by promoter and match-maker Boxu Potts said the weigh-ins were done at separate venues in Marabella and Sangre Grande, which is a breach of protocol in the sport that led to Lambert entering the ring heavier than she ought to in the 49-51 kg contest.
"This is corruption and therefore, the bout should be ruled null and void, and all the officials of the T&T Boxing Association should resign immediately," Potts said. Potts who believes the operations of the TTBA has been counterproductive and hinges on the development of young boxers described the weigh-ins as illegal.
"As we are all aware, the laws of the land supersedes any of AIBA's laws, and the laws of the lands said whenever a boxer has to fight in T&T, a permit must be granted by the T&T Boxing Board of Control, to ensure the fight is a legal one. In Faith Ramnath's case, one of the boxers weighed-in in Sangre Grande, while Ramnath weighed-in at Battoo Avenue Marabella. That weigh-in is an illegal one. No one from Ramnath's team witnessed the weigh-in of Lambert and vice versa. When a fight is taking place the boxing board must ensure that it is even."
Ramnath said all she wants is the opportunity to represent her country and have fair fights.
Potts took a jab at Ria Ramnarine, his ex-fighter, who is a member of the TTBA, and under whose watch he said, an illegal weigh-in took place.
Attempts to contact Cecil Forde, president of the TTBA for a comment, proved futile.
