Guyana Boxing Association four-nation C/ship...Local boxers confident of carting off the spoils

Guyana Boxing Association four-nation C/ship…Local boxers confident of carting off the spoils

Feb 14, 2014 News

By Michael Benjamin
The Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) will be teeming with activity tonight when local boxers don gloves and face off with their counterparts from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and St Lucia when the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) presents the first of three nights of fistic fury in the four-nation boxing tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).

Clairmonte Gibson

Guyana has called up a power team of the best local pugilists and they are all exuding confidence and indeed much will be expected from them. Welterweights, Bert Braithwaite, Eon Bancroft and Ron Smith are the most experienced of the lot and are sure bets to triumph.
At age 25, Bancroft has had four tough years in the ring and he has indeed earned his selection. He won his first title, the National Novice, in 2010 and went on to chalk up the Intermediate and Open Championships that very year.
His career hit the peak when he was selected to compete in the 41st Giraldo Cordova Cardin International Boxing tournament and though he failed to medal, the experience gained would have done him well.
He has come a long way but can sometimes become complacent and lose focus. His coaches will be required to work hard in his corner to retain that high level of concentration so necessary if Bancroft is to prevail.
Imran Khan fights in the 56kgs category and was to have represented Guyana at the 2012 London Olympics; he only managed to reach the box off stage in Brazil and lost, thus spoiling his hopes.
Notwithstanding, he has chalked up a wealth of experience fighting around the world with an IABA scholarship in Cardiff Wales and fight experience in Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Kazakhstan, Russia among other countries.
Middleweight, Dennis Thomas, is another sure bet to dominate his division but he also must take care against complacency. A rangy boxer, Thomas could punch but tends to get cocky at times which could prove his undoing.
He is a confident boxer who believes in himself which could be a positive in his favour. The two females, Dwon Thompson and Theresa London are expected to hold their own against, Trinidadian, Chimbre Taylor while Jamaica is expected to field another female pugilist.
All in all, the local squad looks a formidable bunch but must guard against complacency. The other members of the local team are Michael April, Stephon Nedd and Junior Henry (52kgs), Delon Charles (56kgs), and Clairmonte Gibson.

Michael April

The two selectees out of the Republican Boxing gym, Stephon Nedd and Anandram Dharamraj, were impressive during last Friday’s workout and both pugilists look ready to uphold the rich tradition established through the exploits of their predecessors, the late Winston ‘Service’ Richards, Allan ‘Redbelly’ Housner and Patrick Best among others.
The St. Lucian team consists of the best in the Island in Light/Welterweight Lyndell ‘The Russian’ Marcellin, Welterweight Ron Bastien and Middleweight Arthur Langillier while The Jamaicans are Patrick Sahadeo (60kgs), Anthony Clarke (64kgs), Kestna Davis (69kgs) and Michael Gardner (75kgs).
The organizers have gone the extra mile and will take the bouts into supporters’ home through live broadcast compliments of the National Communication Network (NCN) and listeners could tune in at 21:00hrs tonight when former Continental of Americas boxing champion, Michael Benjamin and journalist Allan LaRose carry the action into fans’ home compliments of NCN. Commentary for the remaining two nights will depend on support from corporate Guyana.
Admission into the arena is an affordable $500 and the first bell sounds at 20:30hrs just after the formal