Swift intervention from Kirt Sinnette, chairman of the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC), ensured that the Point Fortin Borough Festival “Boxing and Soca Lime” card went ahead as scheduled on April 28, despite deepening administrative turmoil within local amateur boxing.
The decisive move by the TTBBC came amid an ongoing and increasingly bitter dispute within the Trinidad and Tobago Boxing Association (TTBA), the body tasked with overseeing amateur boxing in the country.
The conflict, which has simmered for over a year, pits former assistant general secretary Vicki Boodram against a faction of the executive led by president Cecil Forde. The fallout has already escalated to a High Court matter and has also stalled TTBA elections.
Tensions came to a head on Tuesday at the Borough Day event when Boodram’s faction challenged Forde’s involvement in the promotion of the card — a role he has traditionally held for years.
Further complicating matters is the TTBA’s removal from the Companies Register two months ago, a development that has cast doubt on the Association’s legal standing. The TTBA must settle approximately $59,400 in outstanding taxes and fees before it can regain legal status under the Ministry of Legal Affairs.
Boodram has argued that its current de-listed status effectively strips the TTBA of its authority to operate, including promoting events. With Tuesday’s event in jeopardy of being halted, the TTBBC stepped in to stabilise the situation.
“We end up having to take over,” Sinnette noted. “The card took place. We let a long-standing promoter, Mr Bertrand handle it. We ended up having to give him the authorisation to do it via the Boxing Board (TTBBC).”
Sinnette did not shy away from addressing the wider governance crisis. He called on all TTBA stakeholders to resolve their differences through proper channels rather than public confrontation.
Sinnette, former chairman of the Congress of the People (COP) political party, urged officials to avoid airing disputes publicly and instead utilise formal avenues such as the Ministry of Legal Affairs, the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs, and the courts — warning that continued infighting risks undermining the safety and continuity of sanctioned events.
Sinnette maintained that responsibility for resolving the impasse lies squarely with the Association, and that the TTBBC maintains it neutrality in the matter.
Reaffirming the Board’s neutral stance, Sinnette–a former national middleweight champion and top-10 world-ranked boxer–stressed its willingness to collaborate with any properly constituted governing body moving forward.
“They (TTBA) have to legitimise themselves first before they can come back into operation,” Sinnette stated. “We (TTBBC) are not the issue. Once everything is in place with the TTBA, I am ready to work,” Sinnette stated. “It is also for the Association to get their house in order.”