For almost a decade, ‘Boxing Day’ in Guyana has been void of a Boxing Day card.
This year, that will change with the staging of an amateur event dubbed ‘Sons of Champions’ on December, 26, to which an international flavour might be added.
The event which will box off at 19:00hrs at the National Gymnasium, will be a collaborative effort involving CEO of Briso Promotions, Seon Bristol and the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA).
These and other details were disclosed yesterday during the formal launch at Chelsea’s Suites Hotel on Charlotte Street.
President of the GBA, Steve Ninvalle, explained the reason for the name of the card.
“There will be many sons of former national champions participating.”
Alex Murray, the son of the late Andrew Murray, is one of the pugilists who will be fighting on the card.
Bristol told the media that he wanted to promote a card last year but that was curtailed after the professional board announced that they were staging an event.
“I am here to keep my word” he said.
Ninvalle reminded attendees that the fistic sport has a rich tradition and is the only discipline which has garnered world titles for Guyana, as well as, its solitary Olympic medal. He added that boxing locally is going through a renaissance and it shows that the sport is “going down the right path.”
He then expounded on the reason for a Boxing Day card. “I think we owe it to the people and we owe it to the boxers. Of course, it’s a part and parcel of us showcasing them and giving them much needed competition and it is our intention for it to have some international flavour. We are speaking with St Lucia, Suriname and Jamaica.”
Ninvalle then thanked the Ministry of Social Cohesion, especially Minister George Norton, for his continued support of boxing and sport as a whole in Guyana.
“With him being at the helm, the sky is the limit for sport in Guyana” said Ninvalle.
