Behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining
The silver lining which emerged behind the dark cloud following Guyana’s participation at the recently concluded Caribbean Development Boxing Tournament in St Lucia is undoubtedly the success of the four boxers and the AIBA One-Star Referee/Judges’ certification of Lawrence Assanah.
Assanah, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Staff Sergeant, became just the third Guyanese and the first from the GDF to pass the AIBA One Star theoretical and practical exams which were held during the December 13-16 event.
Assanah is now in rarefied air with Ramona Agard and Richard Braithwaite as the only locals qualified to don the prestigious AIBA One Star Badge.
Said President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle recently. “Mr. Assanah is young, bright, dedicated and disciplined and has a very far way to go in the sport. His recent elevation among other things, underlines the fact that boxing is on the upward swing”.
Meanwhile, the quartet of boxers which snared three gold medals and a silver, placed third overall at the third annual tournament which attracted boxers from 10 territories despite being shorthanded. Thirteen boxers were originally scheduled to represent the 592 but financial constraints forced the GBA to send just Keevin Allicock (bantamweight), Colin Lewis (light welterweight), Desmond Amsterdam (middleweight) and Joel Williamson (lightweight).
Allicock, Lewis and Amsterdam returned home with gold medals while Williamson copped silver. Ninvalle opined that once Guyana, the two-time champions of the fixture was able to send a full-strength 13-member team, the locals would have recorded a three-peat.
The quartet along with other boxers will return to the ring when the GBA stages its Boxing Day card dubbed ‘Sons of Champions’ at the National Gymnasium.
