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Over sixteen countries invited as Guyana hosts Caribbean Boxing extravaganza

Sep 27, 2015 Sports

By Michael Benjamin

Efforts by the executive of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) to pursue developmental strategies for the sport while exposing local pugilists to international competition has reached new heights and those officials are currently putting the modalities in place for a Goodwill Caribbean Development tournament, scheduled for November 26-29 next.
More than 13 Caribbean countries are scheduled to come to Guyana to engage in four days of fistic fury and to date, six of them have affirmed their participation. These countries include St Lucia, whose contingent comprises 6 boxers and 4 officials, Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Bahamas and Jamaica. The other countries invited but still to confirm participation are Venezuela, Belize, Aruba, Cayman Islands, US Virgin Islands, French Guiana and Martinique. The organizers have assured that the responses from the other invited countries should be forthcoming within the week.
President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle joined with President of the Guyana Olympics Association (GOA), Juman Yassin and convened a press conference, at the GOA High Street headquarters yesterday morning to brief the media of the plans in place for this tournament.
Mr. Ninvalle said that a large percentage of the funding has been accrued from the GOA and he expressed deep gratitude to the GOA boss for the support rendered. Mr. Yassin then explained that his executives were concerned by the drop in standards in the fistic sport over the years and were determined to render the necessary assistance to facilitate developmental changes. “Amateur boxing is on the decline and the GOA has been injecting funds into this entity to forge necessary changes,” explained Mr. Yassin. He spoke of past strategies enacted by the GBA executives and supported by the GOA but lamented that the returns were not as favourable as he would have liked.
Some of those strategies included support rendered to local coaches and Sebert Blake was one of the recipients that went on several sojourns to Hungary and Cuba among other countries. Blake was also selected to accompany a 4 man team of boxers to Mexico to participate in the box off to the Pan Am Games in Toronto, Ontario Canada. Dennis Thomas was the only boxer to clinch a victory and even then, he did not qualify after losing his quarter finals match.
The GOA boss feels that the boxers ought to take some of the blame for their failure. “The GBA executive is doing all they can but our boxers must make the requisite sacrifice and effort to rise above their foes,” asserts Mr. Yassin. He further issued an urgent plea to local pugilists to diligently apply themselves to the task in order to enhance their fortunes.
Mr. Yassin further divulged that he has suggested that Mr. Ninvalle identify 2 boxers for preparation in the 2018 Commonwealth Games even as he committed to assistance in this regard.
Meanwhile, Mr. Ninvalle expressed gratitude to Mr. Yassin and his executives for their timely intervention in making the Caribbean tournament a reality. He explained that the cost of the tournament exceeds six million dollars and Government input as well as that of the corporate community will be sought. The GBA President also said that his executives are putting the modalities in place for the 2015 National Open Championships, scheduled for mid October. He further said that the team of boxers to compete against their Caribbean counterparts would then be identified and encamped at the Andrew Lewis Boxing Gym.

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