– nine member team to depart today
Guyana, in the form of a nine-member team comprising fighters and officials, will depart today for St. Lucia to compete in the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Boxing Championship, which is scheduled to start on Friday and conclude on Sunday.
This was disclosed by an official release from the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA). According to the correspondence, the fight roster, which will be marshalled by national trainer Lennox Daniels, contains: Abiola Jackman, heavyweight (Elite); Alesha Jackman, middleweight (Elite); Shakquain James, lightweight (Junior); Angelina Rogers, bantamweight (Junior); Ryan Rogers, bantamweight (Schoolboys); and Junior Madray, 31-33 kg (Schoolboys).
On the other hand, the duo of Lawrence Assanah and Germain Craig will also participate in the event as referees and judges, respectively.
Terrence Poole, Technical Director of the Guyana Boxing Association, said, “Preparation has been good; they have been training for a period of time. I would say the preparation has been 95%. They were training twice a day at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym.”
Prodded on the importance of the competition given that the Caribbean Schoolboys Championships are slated for August, Poole declared, “This tournament is part of the preparation for the Caribbean Schoolboys Tournament, and it will allow us to see the level of some of our fighters and where they are and where they need to be for that event. It’s very important because it provides international exposure. My expectation is that everyone should do well at the event.”
Meanwhile, GBA President Steve Ninvalle stated that the event is another step in the right direction in exposing budding talents on the international circuit, noting, “Guyana is not part of the OECS, but I see it as my duty to support Mr. Christopher, who has always returned the favour when Guyana hosts international events.”
“In addition, our objective for tournaments of this nature is the exposure of emerging talents in a competitive international environment”, Ninvalle declared.
He further added, “Moreover, the exposure of females to the rigours of international competition is a major emphasis and priority for the association. We believe that the women’s arm, given the documented challenges that are faced with their initial participation and sustained continuance, requires and is aided by this approach in providing international exposure.”
The OECS Championship is slated to feature participation from several nations, several of whom will feature in the prestigious Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Championships in Guyana.
