Team Guyana and Jeremiah Duncan snagged the coveted awards when the curtains came down on this year’s Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Boxing Tournament on Sunday night at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Expectedly, the local standout pugilists racked up the most points to retain the overall Country award.
Following three nights of exciting bouts featuring future top prospects, Team Guyana earned 23 points.
They were head and shoulders above the visiting contingents, The Bahamas (nine points), Trinidad and Tobago (eight points) and St Lucia which finished with five points.
Thanks in large part to wins by Duncan who earned the glistening Best Boxer trophy and others like Eon Bancroft and Emanuel Pompey, Team Guyana’s unbeaten streak continued for the event which started five years ago.
Having arisen from the ashes of the pandemic after two years, President of the Guyana Boxing Association and the brains behind the tournament, Steve Ninvalle underscored its importance.
“I think it’s the most important event for boxing in the Caribbean. As I said our nursery is of immense importance. This has also been echoed by every country that has come here and as a matter of a fact, people are saying that those that are not here, stand not to gain.”
Ninvalle who is also the Director of Sport, added “From a personal standpoint, I am extremely happy for what we have been able to achieve. At one point we were saying that this is something that we will not be able to do but because of its importance, we know that we cannot fail with this nursery.”
Ninvalle was enthused at the overwhelming success and stated that next year, the tournament will be held on a “grander scale”.
“We will do it next year on a grander scale as you have heard the Honourable Minister (Charles Ramson Jr.) said that this facility will be ready for a larger influx of countries.
“I am saying that this tournament in the near future will become such a marquee tournament that we will have boxers not only from the Caribbean but further afield” Ninvalle professed in conclusion.
