GREATER VICTORIA AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION

THE 1990 REVIVAL OF THE GVABA: By Brian Zelley

Introduction
The Greater Victoria Amateur Boxing Association was revived in the Nineties,
as a result of the expected 1994 Commonwealth Games and was first considered
as an important starting point for Games' volunteer organization by the boxing
committee comprised of Hassan Sunderani, Brian Zelley, Mike Sartori and BVABA
president Glynn Jones. This idea was later approved by the commmittee and other
interested persons at a public meeting held in April 1990 which included others
such as former Vancouver Island Amateur Boxing Commissioner Rick Brough.

FOUNDING MEETING OF THE GVABA,May 13, 1990
With the assistance of then Executive Director of the Victoria Commonwealth
Games Society, JIM STOTHART, the meedting took place at the Princess Mary
Restaurant on May 13, 1990 which was attended by 23 individuals including
Commonwealth Games Committee member Sunderani, Jones, Sartori and Zelley.

The founding meeting was completed and the first official meeting of new group
was commenced with the election of directors, officers, committeees etc.

TIMES-Colonist news:
The following was reported in Victoria's Times-Colonist:
Brian Zelley was named president of the Greater Victoria Amateur
Boxing Association during the group's organizational meting held Sunday.

the association has been formed to help rebuild amateur boxing in the area
and to create a strong awareness of the sport in Victoria prior to the
Commonwealth Games coming her in 1994.

The rest of the group's executive are:
J. R. Smith, Wes Byrnell and Ian Duddy.

The first vice-president, PUD SMITH



The group's directors are Tom Duncan Mike Caird, Mike Sartori,
Ian Weir, Rick Brough, Etsel Ross, Dr. Dan Buie, Hassan Sunderani,
Bert Wilkinson and Tom Black.

RICK BROUGH, Director

Prior to attending various meeting in the Nineties, Rick had been
active in Vancouver Island Boxing in the Seventies and Eighties.
He was one of the officials at the "Bathtub Capital Golden Gloves
at Nanaimo in 1978 and one of the organizers for the 1984 V I
Amateur Boxing Championships, and a co-founder of the Ladysmith ABC.
Rick Brough is an inductee of the British Columbia Amateur Boxing
Hall of Fame.





Glynn Jones, president of the B. C Amateur
Boxing Association, was present at Sunday's organizational meeting.

VANCOUVER ISLAND AMATEUR BOXING CHAMPIONS

PHOTOS:
1.rick brough and scott cessford
2. alan brown, vic murdoch and brian zelley
3. nanaimo's newcastle boxing club
4. list of champions

VANCOUVER ISLAND AMATEUR BOXING CHAMPIONS -
THE SELECT TWENTY: by Brian W Zelley

From 1964 to 2010, there are twenty Vancouver I sland boxers that have
earned the title of Vancouver Island boxing champion. This is their story.

Each one of the twenty boxer has a story from ALAN BROWN to WAYNE POWELL,
also their various clubs have a story
from the Gold River and Campbell River Eagles Boxing Clubs
to the Parksville, Nanaimo, Crofton and Victoria Boxing Clubs, and
the military boxers such as RIFLEMAN WALSH and WAYNE POWELL.

In 1964, it was Nanaimo's Newcastle Boxing Club with champions
BRIAN ZELLEY and GILLES NEPPER, and in 1984 it was the
Nanaimo Boxing Club with MIKE MURRAY and the Parksville club
with the CESSFORD brothers and DEAN MACDONALD and
the Campbell River club with GARY WOOD.
ALAN BROWN began with the Campbell River Eagles until his
father MONTY BROWN started the GOLD RIVER BOXING CLUB.

Beyond the boxers, there were a number of coaches and officials.
such as SKIMP WILLIAMS and TAYLOR GORDON in 1964 and the likes
of RICK BROUGH and HOWARD CURLING in 1984.

And then there was the host of the 1964 Championships, Victoria's
LONDON BOXING CLUB under the direction of HARRY MORRIS
and who could forget their Island champions
HOWIE RABEY, KEN ALEXANDER and TOMMY BLACK

Tommy Black
Tommy fought in Victoria long before the formation of the
LONDON BOXING CLUB. In 1960, Tommy was one of three
Vancouver Island boxers to win in the 1960 BC Golden Gloves
in Vancouver. in the 1964 Championships Black faced the heavy hitting
navy boxer FRED DESROSIERS and outboxed him to win the title, but when it came time for the selection of the 1964 Canadian Olympic Boxing team, it would be Fred that would earn a spot over the best of Canadian boxers in his division.

1964 to 1984 - The Link

The idea of reviving the 1964 Vancouver Island Boxing Championships twenty years later began in earnest in 1983
with a combined coaches and officials meeting. The three officials involved were former Island Commissioner
HOWARD CURLING, the Island Commissioner RICK BROUGH, and BCABA director and 1964 Champion B. Zelley.
Along with the various coaches, a preliminary step was to have the VANCOUVER ISLAND NEWS with a 1983 spring and fall issue. Also, official BOB PERRY joined in.