– US in transit visas to be secured
President of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Affeeze Khan yesterday announced the names of the four boxers who will represent Guyana at the Commonwealth Games in India this October.
Speaking to the media Khan said that the successful boxers, who took part in the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Championships (CABC) in Trinidad and Tobago at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in late July, have earned their places on the team.
The four, Herlando Allicock, who made the team at the expense of Moonchan Sankar, Cleveland Rocke, Stefan Gouveia and Akeem Alexander were elated at their selection and are expected to bring back gold for Guyana.
National Coach Carl Franklyn, who will accompany the four boxers to India along with Khan, said that the selection process was not an easy one as originally 14 boxers were identified for training in April. He added that within three months, eight boxers dropped out for varying reasons and the six who remained were sent to the CABC where they secured four gold medals.
When they returned home Rondell Douglas dropped out and finally Sankar Tuesday last. Franklyn said that from all reports, Sankar became disillusioned with the selection process. Sankar and Allicock who both fight in the same weight category were scheduled to have a box off last evening to select the final member but he opted out of the camp.
Khan said that the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) is responsible for getting the team to India and they have given the commitment to fund the airline tickets, hotels, stipend, etc. However, Khan, and Coach Franklyn would have to fund their own way to India. Khan said he will look after himself but Franklyn needed about $400,000 to enable him to get to India.
“GABA has no money,” Khan declared.
Khan said the reason for him going to India was to act as a “father figure” and to make sure that the boxers received the best coaching and treatment possible so that they would be able to bring back gold medals.
Visas
“The team has a September 15 appointment at the US Embassy in Kingston,” Khan said.
But being guaranteed visas is another thing. The getting of visas for the team falls under the auspices of the GOA but Khan has taken it upon himself to assist as much as possible.
But there is a Plan `B’ which, according to Khan, involves them using England instead of the United States as an in transit point to get to India. This process though can take as much as 20 days and they are hoping to depart Guyana on October 9.
Leaving Guyana on October 9 means the team will arrive in the USA the same day and taking the in transit flight they will arrive in India on October 10 giving them one day’s rest, on October 11, before they get into action on October 12.
This whole trip via the USA will take twenty-four hours. The England route though is longer, according to Khan, as they would have to go to Trinidad and Tobago where they would spend four hours then proceed to Gatwick Airport in England, where they will spend twelve hours, before proceeding to Heathrow Airport then to India. For this trip, according to Khan, if the team leaves Guyana on October 9 they will not arrive until October 11, giving them no chance to acclimatize themselves before they get into action. Khan says he is keeping his fingers crossed and is hoping for divine intervention.
