For the fourth consecutive year, local conglomerate Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) under its Pepsi brand will sponsor the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Under-16 tournaments.
During yesterday’s press briefing at the Ministry of Education’s Sport Division building on Main Street, Sales Manager, Larry Wills along with president of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle told media operatives that the company and the association will team up to box off two tournaments this year.
The first will be staged on August 29 at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Gym while the second will box off in December.
Wills stated that DDL is happy to continue sponsorship of the tournament since the company is seeing positive results.
“Since our launch in 2012 we have seen some of the boxers moving on to represent Guyana overseas and it shows that the initiative has a positive effect on our young boxers.
We are pleased with the way the tournament has been organized and executed and we at DDL are once again pleased to partner with GBA and look forward to continuing the corporate relationship.”
Wills also wished the tournament success and encouraged patrons to support the events.
In keeping with its mandate to honour notable local boxers, the GBA has decided to name the championships after Guyana’s only Olympic medallist, Michael Parris. This comes on the heels of the successful Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis National Novices Championship which was staged earlier this month.
“It’s a small thing that we can do to pay homage to keep the flag flying” said Ninvalle.
The GBA head then spoke of the strong four-year relationship between DDL and the association and echoed Wills’ sentiments on the positive results of the grass roots initiative.
“I am heartened that we can continue to have the support of DDL because we have always said that our nursery is one of our most important departments and in the four years DDL has partnered with us we have seen extreme development within the under 16 level.”
The GBA head then mentioned that only boxers attending school would be allowed to participate in the competition.
“As an association we understand that academics and sports should go hand in hand.”
Technical Director of the association, Terrence Poole thanked DDL for once again sponsoring the initiative and pointed out that in excess of 40 amateur pugilists will compete for medals in the two-day competition.
He added that he expects to see Simon Pures from Young Achievers, Carryl Boxing Gym, Essequibo Boxing Gym, Harpy Eagles, Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF), Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Rose Hall Jammers and the Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym as well as boxers from Bartica and Mahdia.
Parris snared bronze in the bantamweight division at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia. (Emmerson Campbell)
