20 fights each night to highlight GBA’s National Novice this weekend

May 02, 2018 Sports

AIBA Three Star Coach Terrence Poole (right foreground) takes the army team through training sessions at Camp Ayangana.

For the pittance of $500 in the stands and $1000 ringside, patrons will witness 20 bouts each night when the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis National Novice punches off at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue from this Friday to Sunday. There will be three nights of much fistic fury in the annual tournament which is also dubbed ‘Nuff Cuff’.
The 2018 edition of the tournament, which the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) gym are the defending champions, was initially scheduled to be held last weekend but the local governing body, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), decided to push back the date.
When the slugfest gets underway Friday, then boxing gyms will look to dethrone the defending champions, Guyana Defence Force (GDF). Those gyms include, Republican (Prison) which will make their return after fire had destroyed their base, Savannah of Lethem, Carryl, Harpy, Vergenoegen, Rose Hall Jammers, Pocket Rocket, Forgotten Youth, Young Achievers and Police.
Usual visitors, Suriname, were keen to contest the National Novice but are unable to make the trip, however, the Surinamese have signaled intentions to return to Guyana for the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate in October.
Meanwhile, head coach of the GDF, Terrence Poole who is also technical director of the GBA, expressed great confidence in his gym’s ability of retaining successfully their title. “We have been successful across all divisions and come Friday when National Novice rings off, it will be business as usual for the army men,” Poole posited.