The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is looking to have its Pan Am games boxing team train in Cuba ahead of the upcoming Pan Am Games in Chile.
This is according to a press release from the GBA.
“In an effort to provide the ideal preparatory phase for its pugilists at the upcoming Pan American Games, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is exploring the possibility of staging a three-week training camp in global powerhouse Cuba,” a release from the GBA stated.
Recently the GBA named a formidable five-member boxing team to participate at the Pan American Games in Chile from October 20 to November 5.
The team, one of the largest in recent times comprises Desmond Amsterdam (79kg), Keevin Allicock (57 KG), Emmanuel Pompey (92 KG), Joel Williamson (63.5 KG), and Alesha Jackman (66 KG).
Technical Director of the association, Terrence Poole, will oversee the staff which also comprises Cuban coach Franciso Roldan.
Boxing will be held from October 21-27 at the La Reina Community Sports Centre and the games will serve as a qualifier for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.
According to Poole training has officially commenced.
“Training occurs daily, that is, Monday to Friday from 4 p.m. and on Sundays at 10 a.m. at the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis gym in Albouystown. We also train on Sundays.
“I think it is a great opportunity to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. While they have other qualifiers that will occur, this is an easy chance for the fighters to qualify. It’s a good opportunity, and the boxers should make the most of it.”
GBA President Steve Ninvalle said the GBA was looking at having its boxers qualify for France 2024.
“The GBA’s objective is to qualify for the Olympics, and we have endeavored ourselves to provide the ideal setting and environment for the preparatory period to give our fighters the best chance of achieving such an intention. This is our goal, and as such, a plan is presently being formulated to ascertain how feasible and possible it is to conduct such a training camp in Cuba,” he said.
“From a practical perspective, qualifying at this juncture will remove the need to prepare simply for another qualifier, which will occur in 2024, and it will also provide the opportunity to prepare solely for the Olympics. Once again, this highlights the sober intent of the GBA to develop the sport through international competitions and training camps, the latter of which is also a form of international exposure,” Ninvalle added.
If the proposal is realized, the team, which will be supervised by resident Cuban trainer Francisco Roldan, is scheduled to depart these shores next week.
Guyana’s previous participation in this prestigious event occurred at the 2019 edition. Allicock was boxing’s solitary representative in Lima, Peru. Clive Atwell secured Guyana’s last medal in the discipline of boxing at the 2007 edition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He won bronze in the 54-kg segment. Prior to the aforementioned, Guyana won two bronze medals in the 1991 Games in Havana, Cuba, via Poole [81 KG] and Stephan Rose [51 KG].
Overall, Guyana has won one silver and seven bronze medals in the history of the event, which started in 1951. This is second only to Jamaica in the English-speaking Caribbean, which has captured a total of 11 accolades.
