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Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Boxing Tournament… All systems in place as four nations vie for honours in fistic encounters
The fistic encounters between Guyanese boxers
and their Cuban counterparts of the late seventies and early eighties have dissipated somewhat even though Guyana still enjoys bilateral relations with that Spanish speaking country.
In the meantime, local pugilists have dominated the boxing arena at the Caribbean level and senior amateur boxers have asserted themselves as the powerhouse of the region when they carted off the lion’s share of medals at the Barbados staged Development Tournament in February.
Tonight, the 2nd edition of the Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Boxing Tournament gets underway at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, and concludes on the 14th. Local boxers will match skills with the best talent out of Barbados, Suriname and St Lucia in highly anticipated duels meant to assert Caribbean dominance at the lower level.
Up to press time, local selectors were still mulling over their final selection even as the Trinidadians have already dispatched their team composition. They are Abdul Taylor, Tyriane Hosien, Blessing Waldropt, Denzel Massy, Meshack Thomas, Nyrell Hosein Juan Rodriguez and Edwin Felix. They are accompanied by their President, Cecil Forde.
St Lucia administrators have said that their lads are prepared for war and are oozing confidence. Coached by former Guyanese amateur champion, Conrad Fredericks, the team is led by Nathan Ferrari, who copped the Best Boxer Award at this tournament last year. Referee/judge, Julie Bonnet, also of St Lucia who recently received certification as an AIBA One Star Referee will also officiate at the Championships.
Local boxers would also know that the St Lucians have always been competent and there is no indication that this trend will change. The team will also gain a morale booster since the boxing association President, David ‘Shakes’ Christopher, will be in attendance.
The names of Suriname’s team are yet to be released, but one can reasonably assume that those officials would have learnt from their sojourn in Guyana last year, when Guyana hosted the inaugural, and they would field a more competent squad. Barbados is also to name its team but those lads were expected in yesterday afternoon.
Jamaica’s five boxers will be accompanied by two coaches and that country’s boxing association President, Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones.
The team will be led by the experienced lightweight pugilist, Daniel Hylton, who would have fought here twice in the past. The other members are Joseph Coley, Ramone Chung, Reshawn McWhinney and Jerome Ennis.
The team’s head coach is Gilbert Vaz, while Godfrey Collins is the assistant coach.
The tournament had its first edition in Guyana last year April after regional administrators called for more focus to be placed on the nursery of the sport.
Local boxers were recently involved in the Pepsi U-16 tournament at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown which allowed the local selectors to put together a competent squad with the talented Shaquincy Wright of the Vergenoogen Boxing Gym, formerly the Essequibo Boxing Gym, leading the team.
Fans will be required to pay $1000 for a ringside seat while those occupying the stands pay half that amount.
The opening ceremony gets underway at 19:00hrs while the first gong sounds at 20:00hrs.
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