Boxing Association forced to throw in the towel on AMBC plans

Jun 04, 2017 Sports

The Guyana Boxing Association was forced to throw in the towel on plans to send a four-man team to the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Champion in Honduras after efforts to squeeze out sponsorship fell through.

Steve Ninvalle

“Sad but true,” was how GBA president responded when asked about not participating at the important Championships. “We are the Caribbean Champions in the elite department. We just won the Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors championship yet we are unable to be present at the AMBC championships,” Ninvalle lamented to Kaieteur Sport yesterday.
The GBA boss informed that approximately two million dollars was needed to send lightweight Joel Williamson, light welterweight Colin Lewis, middleweight Desmond Amsterdam and coach Wincell ‘Nacker’ Thomas to the Championship which is being held from June 10 – 18 and will see most of the countries in the Americas participating. Williamson, Amsterdam and Lewis all won gold medals at the Caribbean Championship last year.
According to Ninvalle, both the Guyana Olympic Association and the National Sports Commission were written to requesting assistance to send the team to Honduras.
“The GOA replied stating that they were focusing on sending a team of two boxers and one coach to the Youth Commonwealth Games in Bahamas next month. I have not been able to make contact with the Director of Sport but was informed by a member of the NSC that no funds were available. Sad but true.”
Last December Ninvalle was forced to endure a 100-mile walk from Berbice to Georgetown in order to raise funds to send an 11-member team to the Caribbean Championships in Barbados after neither the GOA nor NSC supported the cause.
The team returned home with ten golds and one silver and the Champion team title and were met at the Eugene F. Correia Airport by sport Minister Nicolette Henry, the Director of Sport and president of the GOA K Juman Yassin. At a simple ceremony held at the airport all promised to provide avenues for local pugilist to participate in overseas competitions. Unfortunately on this occasion, that was not forthcoming.

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