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Boxing champion’s statue to hit park Neil Walker neil@baysidenews.com.au A STATUE of boxing champ Johnny Famechon will be unveiled early next year in Ballam Park to honour the Frankston resident’s sporting achievements including the world WBC featureweight championship in 1969-70. Frankston councillors last week voted to contribute $45,000 of ratepayers’ money to install a 2.1-metre high bronze statue of “Fammo” in his youthful pomp at Ballam Park. A group of boxing fans, including Gary Luscombe, have raised nearly $180,000 themselves over seven years for sculptor Stephen Glassborow to construct the statue. Mr Luscombe, who lives in the Victorian town of Cockatoo, said the fundraising at sportsman nights and selling raffle tickets at boxing events has “been a hard slog” but he is looking forward to Famechon, a Frankston resident for about 45 years, attending the statue unveiling ceremony on 21 January next year. The date of 21 January is the day Famechon won his world title bout to first claim the world WBC featureweight championship against Cuban Jose Legra on points in 1969. He defended his title on points against Fighting Harada of Japan before knocking Fighting Harada
Peace talks MORE than 300 people are expected to attend a symposium next month at the Baitul Salam Mosque, Langwarrin to explain that “Islam’s teachings” have no links to terrorism. The event is being run by the Victorian chapter of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Australia to promote “peace and unity between all people”. The Langwarrin mosque is regarded as the largest in the state and Sunday 3 December will be the second annual event of its type at the mosque. Imam Syed Wadood Janud said the symposium’s theme “World crisis and the pathway to peace” will “focus on reaffirming that Islam is a religion of peace at a time when rising extremism and nationalism are escalating in the world”. The keynote address will be presented by the Ahmadiyya community’s national president and grand imam Inam-ul-Haq Kauser. “This symposium was launched in 2003 by His Holiness, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, the fifth Khalifa and leader of the global Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, who is based in London, in response to growing extremism in Europe and around the world. The message is just at pertinent today as it was in 2003,” Imam Janud said. “We are passing through very difficult times where the name of Islam is being used to conduct terrorism. As Ahmadi Muslims, we want to promote the true and real message of Islam. We want to inform all Australians that Islam’s teachings have no connection with violence and disorder that we see in the world today.” The Ahmadiyya Muslim Community was founded in 1889, and claims “membership exceeding tens of millions” across 200 countries. It sees itself as “the leading Islamic organisation to categorically reject terrorism in any form” and is the only Islamic organisation to endorse a separation of mosque and state. Details: Ahmadiyya.org.au
out in the fourteenth round in a rematch. Fammo retired soon after losing to Mexican Vicente Saldivar in a close points decision in May 1970 in Rome. “He was more than a boxing champion, he got inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame,” Mr Luscombe said. He said he is hoping a couple of thousand people turn up at Ballam Park on Sunday 21 January at 11am for the Johnny Famechon statue unveiling with Fammo the guest of honour. World boxing champs including Azumah Nelson, Jeff Fenech and Jeff Horn have been invited to attend and Fighting Harada may also come to Frankston for the statue unveiling. See johnnyfamechonstatue.com online for more details.
Standing tall: Sculptor Stephen Glassborow with a statue of boxing champ Johnny Famechon set to be installed at Ballam Park early next year to honour Frankston resident Fammo. Picture: Supplied
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Frankston Times 27 November 2017
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