Caribbean Schoolboys Boxing Championship
– six nations have already confirmed participation
Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Technical Director Terrence Poole confirmed that the encampment phase for the 7th Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Schoolgirls Championship, which is slated for August 16th-18th at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, will commence this week.
Speaking to Stabroek Sport after the conclusion of the final GBA U-16 Championship, which was part of the entity’s selection process, Poole said, “Preparation has been going on for months for this event. Encampment will occur very soon. We will have a meeting to discuss that shortly, and it will start before the week is out.”
According to Poole, “We have much more participation, and we see that a lot of the fighters have improved throughout the years who would have competed in younger competitions and at younger age groups in the event. Fighters like Ezekiel Bancroft, Shakquain James, Ryan Rogers, and Keon Britton. They came through from the schoolboys section and now will be competing as juniors. There is a lot of talent in this team. Other teams from Guyana in this event would have had talent, but this one would have had much more competition and is definitely more seasoned.”
Meanwhile, GBA President Steve Ninvalle commended the efforts of the coaches and trainers who are working assiduously to ensure that Team Guyana is in the ideal condition and frame of mind to defend their championship.
Ninvalle posited that while the impending competitors will strive to wrestle the overall title from the clutches of the locals, he is optimistic, given the quality of preparation and the calibre of fighters at Guyana’s disposal, that a replication of the previous results is certainly possible.
The event was commissioned with the sole purpose and intent to unite the Caribbean region while providing the ideal platform for identifying the best talents from the respective territories.
Presently, six nations have confirmed their participation, with the GBA working overtime to ensure the logistical apparatus is in place for the prestigious championship. The confirmed nations are: Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Antigua, Suriname, Barbados, and Grenada. The teams are expected to arrive on local shores shortly.
Guyana has won the overall title in each of the previous six iterations and will aim to maintain their grip on the accolade.
