03.09Dr. David Chaplin Awarded Highest International Boxing Referee/Judging Certification
NNU’s School of Business’ newest professor recently earned certification as an international referee and judge in amateur boxing. The Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur (AIBA), headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, awarded Dr. Chaplin the highest honor a referee/judge can attain.
The United States has over 3,000 registered amateur boxing officials, but only 21 possess the AIBA certification awarded Dr. Chaplin. He is the only Idaho official qualified to referee or judge international matches.
“I got started while attending the Western Boxing Trials (one of the final Olympic Qualifying Tournaments) in Casper, Wyoming in March, 1996. I casually commented to my friend that it would be great to referee amateur boxing. Moments later, I saw in the
program that USA Boxing was encouraging interested officials to contact their headquarters in Colorado Springs to inquire about getting involved. The next officials’ certification clinic was scheduled for August, 1996 at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Since I was living in Fort Collins, CO at the time, it was no trouble to attend. I became certified at that time and refereed my first bout in Pueblo, Colorado the next month.”
He has since officiated over 1,600 bouts. Most recently, he both judged and refereed Feb. 10-13 at the Under-19 National Amateur Boxing Championships in Cincinnati, and this month at a regional boxing match in the Treasure Valley.