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GBA President, Steve Ninvalle, attends IABA Extra Ordinary Congress
Endeavours to garner support for Caribbean tournament
By Michael Benjamin
President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle, left Guyana yesterday morning to attend the International Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) Extra Ordinary Congress in Doha Qatar. Moments before his departure, Mr. Ninvalle informed Kaieteur Sport that he will lobby for support for the impending ‘Back to the Future’ Caribbean Goodwill Development tournament, scheduled to be hosted by Guyana, November 26-29 next. The GBA President will also be making a brief stopover in the United States of America after the conclusion of the AIBA forum to encourage support from the Diaspora there.
Steve Ninvalle at the AIBA Congress in South Korea earlier this year.
Local boxers have heightened their preparations with an aim of turning in their best performances and the squad will soon be encamped but are currently preparing for the National Open Boxing Championships slated for October 23.
Officials of the GBA have indicated that while several of the boxers have already been spotlighted, the bulk of representatives must earn their places on the team at the impending National Open Boxing Championships.
Already, 11 countries have indicated that they will be sending teams to the championship and President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, is very upbeat about its success. The latest of these teams is St Maarten. President of the St Maarten Amateur Boxing Association (SMABA), Milton ‘Bobby’ Ottley, has confirmed that he would be sending two boxers accompanied by a manager and a coach.
The other countries to have affirmed their participation are Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Jamaica, Bahamas, St Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago, French Guiana and Martinique. Those countries still to confirm their participation are Venezuela, Belize, Aruba, US Virgin Islands and Cayman Islands. Mr. Ninvalle is confident of positive responses from the remaining countries.
President of the St Lucia Amateur Boxing Association (SLABA), David ‘Shakes’ Christopher has already identified a tough bunch of boxers to represent the Island. He said that he is aiming for many gold medals and as such, will be fielding a strong team to the championships.
The St Lucian entourage will be led Lyndel Marcellin, a senior Elite boxer in the 69 kg category, best remembered for his epic battles with Bert Braithwaite in Guyana and St Lucia early last year.
The other members of the St Lucia entourage are Arthur Langelier (75 kg – Elite senior boxer), another top boxer that has made his mark in Guyana and further afield, Travis Maynard (56 kg – Elite senior boxer), Heslie Joseph (60 kg – Elite senior boxer), Nathan Ferrari (64kg – Novice boxer) and Merlanda St Clair (75kg female boxer). Coaches, Conrad Fredericks and Jorge Gonzalez Dominguez will accompany Brian Mc Donald who will manage the team with Mr. Christopher being the Head of Delegation.
Plans for the tournament were recently unveiled when Mr. Ninvalle joined with President of the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), K A Juman Yassin, for a press conference at the Parade Street, Kingston headquarters of the GOA. Here it was revealed that the total expenditure will surpass six million dollars and the GOA would be contributing a large sum to offset the cost.
French Guiana has also confirmed its participation and local boxers will do well to remember their fistic combats when the (local) team visited that French country last year. Leonardo Mosquea and Kesney Joseph are the ones to watch; they were the two that had really caused problems in the Guyanese camp.
Mosquea had had a raging battle with Thomas in Cayenne and the situation reached a head when the French pugilist had maliciously butted his opponent forcing the referee to disqualify him immediately. Mosquea will still be bristling and a fight between the two is bound to spark off animosity. Other members of the French delegation include Rolland Robbeiri (President of Committee), Michel Manguer (General Secretary), with Guy Luce (assistant coach) completing the team.
Kaieteur Sport will be focusing on the local boxers, their training schedule and their general application in the run up to the championship.
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