Work permit clouds Bombers trainer's Australian trip

Accra, Aug. 10, GNA - Cuban trainer of the national amateur team, Roberto Chavez Ibanez will have to live with the faith of sitting out on a proposed training tour of Australia.

The Black Bombers are scheduled to hold a training camp in Australia from August 23 to September 3, as part of preparations for the impending Commonwealth Games, but the team might embark on the tour without their trainer.

Roberto told GNA Sports that his work-permit has expired since last February, and that would serve as a stumbling block to acquire the Australian visa.

"My visa expired in February, and the renewal has yet to see the light of day.

"My initial work permit expired on December 19, 2009 and I was provided with a provisional one which also run out on February 10."

The Cuban trainer explained that he has since furnished the National Sports Council (NSC) with his passport for the renewal process, but has heard nothing positive so far from his employers.

Roberto, who has been head coach of the national amateur boxing team since 2006, described administrative lapses for the failure of the NSC to renew his permit, a process he deems not cumbersome.

He said that the delay had yielded a penalty of about 500 US Dollars, which has further compounded the problems.

With barely two weeks for the team's departure to Australia, he expressed disgust at the fact that he might not be around to monitor the performance of the boxers he has been training for months.

"My other worry is that my assistant Ofori Asare won't also be around and another assistant (Lartekwei) will be alone in charge of the team during the Australia tour.

"How can I assess the performance of my boxers if I'm not around and my able assistant is also not around?" he quizzed.

Roberto, who has been living illegally in the country for the past six months, has fingered some officials at the NSC for deliberately wrecking his plans.

He cried out that the problem may affect his participation at the Commonwealth Games scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India from October 3 to October 14.

A source at the NSC has, however, hinted that they are working assiduously to rectify the problem.

Attempts to contact the Chief Executive Officer of the Council for attempts to find solution to the impasse proved futile as he was said to be in a meeting.