After a hiatus of some two decades, amateur boxing is set to make its return to Rose Hall, Corentyne, tomorrow evening.
The highly anticipated event is scheduled to get underway at 18:00hrs at the Rose Hall municipality ground. The match-ups will see the nation’s best youth and junior pugilists vying for trophies and medals.
The price of admission is $500.
In keeping with President Irfaan Ali’s theme of ‘One Guyana’, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has taken a stance to decentralise the fistic sport and has opted to stage the event outside of Georgetown.
According to GBA boss, Steve Ninvalle, “This fits into His Excellency’s concept of ‘One Guyana’ and it plays a big part in decentralizing the sport of boxing. This will be the first time I think in about 20 years the amateur association will be hosting boxing in Rose Hall.”
Forty boxers are scheduled to compete at the event.
Ninvalle added that he finds it fitting to take the competition to Rose Hall since the Rose Hall Jammers Boxing Gym has been excelling in recent competitions.
“The Rose Hall Jammers Gym has been doing exceedingly well as it relates to U-16 competitions and we find it fitting that the people of Rose Hall get a chance to see what their boxers do, they only get a chance to see them training, now they will get a chance to see them in the ring.”
The event which comes on the heels of the successful Caribbean School Boys and Juniors Championships, is scheduled to attract boxers from such gyms as Young Achievers, the Forgotten Youth Foundation, Pace and Power, Vergenoegen Boxing Gym and of course the Rose Hall Jammers.
Quizzed on his expectations for taking the fistic sport to the Ancient County, Ninvalle replied. “I expect that this will be successful coming off of the heels of the Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament. Our pledge is to focus heavily on our nursery. That is where we have been giving most of our support and we want to have continuous competition for this sector of boxing.”
Ninvalle who is also the Director of Sport, signalled that plans are in the pipeline to host a boxing event in the Cinderella County of Essequibo as well as in Lethem. (Emmerson Campbell)
