– team to be selected for August’s Caribbean School Boys Championship
With the Caribbean School Boys and Junior Championship scheduled for August 16th-18th at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will resume its monthly U-16 competition, which will be used to select the nation’s delegation. This was confirmed in an official release from the entity. According to the correspondence, the tournament will be staged on June 29th, July 12th, and July 27th at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis Gym in Albouystown, noting that an encampment and preparatory phase will occur after the conclusion of the event and last for a minimum duration of 10 days.
The release further stated that Guyana’s management team will comprise Technical Director Terrence Poole, Cuban trainer Francisco Roldan, and national coaches Lennox Daniels and Clifton Moore.
“Each iteration of the prestigious tournament, which is the brainchild of incumbent GBA chief Steve Ninvalle and is traditionally hosted at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, since its 2016 inception, has experienced expanding annual participation”, the release stated.
The 2023 edition, which was the largest to date, featured participation from Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago, while Aruba, Antigua & Barbuda, St. Maarten, Suriname, and the Bahamas signalled their intent to participate. Guyana is the defending overall champion and has held that honour since the event’s inception.
According to the release, the GBA is exploring the possibility of once again conducting a referee/judge training seminar. The previous iteration, which was held in 2023, was conducted by Three Star Referee/Judge James Beckles of Trinidad and Tobago and brought clarity to the rule changes that were implemented by the International Boxing Association. Meanwhile, President Ninvalle said, “Through the execution of programmes, policies, and initiatives that propel our empirically based agenda and mandate, the GBA has once again shown its visionary approach and aptitude for success. The future of the sport in Guyana is unquestionably shaped by the Caribbean School Boys and Junior Championships, which provide an unparalleled platform in the area, particularly for the English-speaking population. It is our most crucial component for maintaining our dominance in the area at all levels and has practically developed into the de facto World Championships of the area, something the Guyanese people and the sports community, given their support, have been very supportive of given its local origin.”
He further said, “The process of development is tedious and long-term. Because we at the GBA are aware of this fundamental reality, we have designed events like our U16 Tournaments and Caribbean School Boys and Junior Championships to provide the continuity and foundation needed to realise our developmental goals. With regard to the Caribbean Schools Boys and Junior Championships in particular, they benefit not only the local population but the entire region, as evidenced by their annual expansion in the number of participants and nations, even though it is yet to acquire official status as the Caribbean Championship.”
