Latest update December 23rd, 2024 3:40 AM
Fistic fury anticipated as Boxing Association takes ‘Nuff Cuff’ into Buxton
The nation’s top amateur pugilists will bare their fists in several highly anticipated slugfests when the Guyana Boxing
Mark Bevney
Association (GBA), in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport (MCY&S), stages a night of fistic fury, dubbed ‘Nuff Cuff Injection’ at the Buxton/Friendship Community Centre Ground, Buxton ECD tomorrow evening.
Fifteen bouts are carded for the night and among them, three of the best pugilists out of St Lucia will bare fists with their Guyanese counterparts, two of them being grudge matches.
Boxing buffs will remember the Arthur Langelier/Dennis Thomas middleweight clash at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) in the St Lucia/Guyana Goodwill card last February. The two pugilists had engaged in three exciting rounds and Thomas had prevailed. Langelier felt that he had won that bout and immediately called for a rematch.
The second encounter should have been staged in St Lucia one month later but Thomas left Guyana for Chile to participate in the South American Youth Championships and was unable to keep his ring date with the St Lucian. That bout will now become a reality and folks in Buxton and adjoining communities could brace themselves for the treat.
Theresa London was also scheduled to square off with St Lucian, Malanda St Clair but was unable to travel to St Clair’s hometown for the bout. St Clair was all primed up for the clash but had to settle for several rounds on the pads instead. This time, the two will definitely face off in a middleweight bout that is shaping up to be a humdinger.
Another St Lucian, Ron Bastien, will also comprise a part of the St Lucian squad and will be fighting Eon Bancroft in a welterweight bout. The two also clashed last February and the St Lucian had turned in a good performance, albeit on a losing note. He has promised a better showing than his last bout but will have to dig deep since Bancroft has also been in training and exudes similar confidence. Otherwise, 12 other bouts comprising the best local talent will also entertain fans.
Meanwhile, GBA administrators travelled to the Buxton Community Centre Wednesday morning last and had a firsthand look at the facilities. Tournament Director, Terrence Poole was accompanied by coach, Wensel Thomas and after a tour of the facility pronounced it to be ready for tomorrow night’s activity.
The two officials then toured the community and several residents were delighted to hear of the GBA’s efforts to stage the card in the village. One of these residents, Linden Missigher, said that he is living in Buxton for more than 28 years and this is the first time in the history of the sport that boxers will showcase their skills. He feels that it is a good thing for the community since young people could now utilize their spare time productively.
Another resident, Mark Bevney, lauded the effort of the GBA executive and said that residents will welcome the initiative. He said that he cannot remember any notable boxer coming out of the village but noted that many of the youngsters are eager to get involved. “This is very good for the community,” he said. Denisea Yaw operates a beverage stall in the village and was also enthused by the initiative. She said that Buxtonians will come out in their numbers because they always support sporting activities.
Linden Missigher
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, hosted a press conference in the boardroom of the MCY&S yesterday morning and expressed satisfaction at input of his executives in making the card a reality. He said that his team has been hard at work in a bid to improve the fortunes of the young boxers. The GBA President further explained that the ‘Nuff Cuff’ initiative is meant to strengthen the bond between his organization and the various communities while keeping the boxers productively engaged.
Tomorrow night’s card will be staged with a bifurcated objective as GBA executives are also aspiring to showcase those boxers that are currently preparing for national duty at the Commonwealth and the Central American and Caribbean championships. The admission is set at $500 and Mr. Ninvalle indicated that all monies accrued from the event would go towards the preparation of the boxers for their imminent international engagements.
Several sponsors have come forward to assist the staging of the event. Among them are www.Iradiogy.com, an online radio station, Ansa McAl, Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, National Sports Commission, Trustee Pawn Shop, Roger Hinds of Mahdia and Hopkinson Mining.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Chilling reminders that we are not safe
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- Georgetown was plunged into shock and terror last week after two heinous incidents laid... more
Breaking the Chains of Poverty: A need for political will
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The year 2024 has underscored a grim reality: poverty continues to be an unyielding... more
Weekend Cartoon
