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The Commonwealth of The Bahamas made boxing history on Tuesday October 4 in La Linea De La Concepcion, Spain at the World Boxing Council 43rd Convention.

Two Commissioners from the Bahamas Boxing Commission, Fred Sturrup and Richard Demeritte were elected second vice president and treasurer respectively of the Caribbean Boxing Federation. CABOFE is one of 10 international federations with membership in the WBC.

The others are the European Boxing Union, the Asian Boxing Council, the African Boxing Union, the CIS & Slovenia Boxing Bureau, the Central American Boxing Federation, the North American Boxing Federation, the Oriental & Pacific Boxing Federation, the South American Boxing Federation and The Commonwealth Boxing Council.

Such a significant cross culture is what has firmly established the WBC as the leading boxing organization in the world.

Commissioners Sturrup and Demeritte handle the respective secretarial and financial duties of The Bahamas Boxing Commission. During the CABOFE elections, returning President Lloyd Van Putten of Aruba, First Vice President Gabriel Penagaricano of Puerto Rico and Secretary Renato Van Putten of Aruba were elected unopposed as was Sturrup.

Demeritte won a tight election against the former treasurer of CABOFE.

President Van Putten expressed satisfaction with the results.

"Please allow me this opportunity to officially welcome The Bahamas Boxing Commission as a member of the WBC Caribbean Boxing Federation. Since our founding in July of 2001 it was always my desire for The Bahamas to join our federation. With The Bahamas, we now have the following countries that have attended our annual meetings: Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bonaire, Curacao, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Guyana, Grenada, Dominica, Trinidad, St. Lucia, St. Maarten Dutch and St. Maarten French. We hope in the near future to also have the Cayman Islands and the Virgin Islands.

"The election of Mr. Fred Sturrup as our 2nd VP and Mr. Richard Demeritte as our Treasurer will definitely be an asset to our Federation. We are yet in our infancy where the need for experienced leaders is of the utmost importance. I am sure that The Bahamas will assist us with the leadership that we need through our new board members," said President Van Putten.

Talks are presently going on with a view to a special meeting pointing the way forward, being held in The Bahamas.

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