Vice-President of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Rudolph Torrington said yesterday he expected each member of Guyana’s three-man boxing team currently in Chicago, USA to qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Beijing, China.
Torrington told Stabroek Sport that boxers who reach the quarter-final stage of the World’s will qualify for Beijing.
“I expect all three of the boxers to make the first eight,” Torrington said.
The team of bantamweight Clive Atwell, junior welterweight hendrick Pelswijk and middleweight Markember Pierre along with coaches Sebert Blake and Terrence Poole and manager Clifton Moore left Guyana on Wednesday morning for the USA.
Also in the USA is president of the GABA Afeeze Khan who will be attending the International Boxing Association (AIBA) congress.
The championships are scheduled to get underway tomorrow at the University of Illinois, Chicago Pavilion.
At the launch of the tournament earlier this month Mayor of Chicago, Richard M. Daley said:” The World Championships will not only draw attention to the people of Chicago, it will also draw attention to the sport of boxing – a great sport that builds strength, endurance, fitness and self-confidence.”
More than 700 boxers from 120 countries will participate in the 11-day tournament which is expected to be the largest world boxing championships in history.
And Carl Franklyn a member of the coaching team which trained the local boxers prior to their departure, said yesterday that the team had achieved most of its objectives.
Franklyn was also optimistic about the chances of the three-member team.
“I’m looking forward to at least two bronze medals.”
Franklyn said although he was unaware of the number of participants that might be in the categories in which the local boxers will compete he said he felt that the locals stood a “great chance” of qualifying for Beijing.
The Guyana team will return home on December 3.
Meanwhile, Franklyn said the new computer Swiss scoring machine received by the GABA from AIBA recently will be used at next month’s B. L Crombie memorial championships scheduled for November 16-18.
