Guyana has accepted the challenge to host the next Caribbean Boxing Championships perhaps in the first quarter of 2021, but a keen eye will be kept on the COVID-19 pandemic.
This is according to President of the Guyana Boxing Association, Steve Ninvalle.
Ninvalle told this publication yesterday that now that the airports have reopened, the GBA was able to accept the offer to host the annual event after St Maarten, which was scheduled to host the event this year abandoned plans due to the pandemic.
The GBA head stated that Guyana’s experience in staging successful tournaments, coupled with the quantity and quality of the local boxers, played a huge role in the country offering to play host.
“The expectation for us is to host it the first quarter of the new year. But it’s according to how restless the pandemic is, we have to watch and see and not just because Guyana is open means other countries will be open also” Ninvalle posited.
Ninvalle opined that hosting the event will be advantageous for the local crop of upcoming boxers, Olympic hopefuls and officials.
“We need it for our boxers and our officials” said Ninvalle.
Guyana hosted the annual fixture in 2015 and 2018. On both occasions Team Guyana emerged victors. Two years ago, the pugilists from the 592 earned 10 gold, three silver and two bronze medals to regain the championship from Trinidad and Tobago.
The locals had won the inaugural Caribbean Boxing Championship when Guyana hosted the tournament in 2015 and subsequently made a successful defense in Barbados in 2016.
