Guyana boxing team ready for challenge as Winfield Braithwaite Boxing commences

Aug 18, 2023 Sports

Kaieteur Sports – While emphasizing the regional importance of the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/Juniors Boxing Championship, the manager of the Guyana team, Seon Bristol, affirmed that the squad has undergone an excellent preparatory phase and is primed for the start of today’s tournament at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Seon Bristol

Bristol declared, “Preparation has been excellent; since the team has encamped, they have been working twice a day. In the morning, they would get up and go to the national park, if not the seawalls, and even to the gymnasium itself. We have quite a few talented trainers that have dedicated their time to this tournament. We have a total of four coaches that are with the team, so I have been briefed about their activities, and I was able to brief them on some of the expectations that have been set for them.”

He disclosed that discipline has been a guiding light for the group, which entails in and outside the squared circle, noting, “For the tournament, to my surprise, we held an exhibition tournament in Linden on the previous Sunday, and I was very pleased with the performances of all the youngsters. I know that they are all ready to compete; we have been counselling and having discussions with them, and they have shown the willingness to go out there and represent their country, Guyana, so I have a way of letting people know that wherever your head goes, your body follows. They have proven to me that their heads are in the right place, and that was my main concern. We are here to give them all the necessary tools for them to be successful, and with that, I don’t see anything else but champions amongst us.”

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has officially selected a 23-member fight roster that will be tasked with defending home turf in the competition, which concludes on Sunday. The GBA had commenced its arduous selection process with its monthly U16 Championships, which were hosted at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown. Upon the end of the previous competition in July, combatants were shortlisted for further assessment, which resulted in the aforementioned roster being selected.

The team is under the supervision of the GBA national coaches and technical officers, Lennox Daniels, Sebert Blake, Clifton Moore, Francisco Roldon, and Technical Director Terrence Poole. Presently, Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago are the confirmed participants for the championship, which was conceptualized in 2016 by current GBA chief Steve Ninvalle.

According to Bristol, “The importance of this tournament is extremely high for the fact that we here in the Caribbean have been gaining a lot of mileage when it comes to taking home medals. This tournament captures the Caribbean, and with that, keep in mind that Guyana has always dominated this area. It was pleasing that when the Grenadian team came after they checked in, they actually said directly to me, ‘We are here to fight’, and the question I asked them was if the accommodations were up to par. They are here to fight, which proves that people are here to prove that they are among the best in the Caribbean.”

He revealed that one of the secrets behind this venture is that the association refuses to forget but palpably acknowledges the individuals that were central in the creation of the path, noting that the event is named after a famed local fighter, which has become a tradition of local tournaments under the GBA umbrella.

Bristol expanded, “We have the ‘Six Head’, the Lennox Blackmore, and the Kenny Bristol to come, and I could name a list of them, many of whom were world-ranked fighters and many of whom fought for world titles, though they might not have been successful. I am proud to know that in all the competitions that we are doing, even this one, we can emphasize our history and former legends.”

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Boxing, commences, Gymnasium, Seon Bristol, Winfield Braithwaite

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