– move forms part of decentralisation effort
The annual Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate Championship will now be staged this evening at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym in Albouystown at 18:00hrs, according to a press statement from the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA).
President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle said, “While the national gymnasium has served in recent years as the venue for this auspicious event, the decision to stage the championship at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis facility can be viewed as an opportunity to promote the sport within the community. Decentralisation is not only a reality of moving from one region to another but also amongst communities within that jurisdiction.”
He further said, “We believe that this decision will bring a different ambience, environment, and flavour to the event, which has not only improved in quality with each iteration but also importance to the discipline. Like many sports in Guyana, boxing has always been community-based, and we believe that the best way to promote the discipline is to return to its proverbial roots, and what better way to do that than to stage a major championship at a venue that is named after one of Guyana’s most famous athletes who was not only a world champion but a son of that community.”
The two-day championship, which concludes tomorrow at the same location, was pencilled to be hosted in October but was rescheduled following the untimely death of GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole, who was partly responsible for its coordination.
The participating gyms will come in the form of the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Forgotten Youth Foundation, Pace and Power, New Amsterdam Academy, Rose Hall, Vergenoegen, and Republicans.
The official medical examination and weigh-in process for the event occurred yesterday at the Mandela Avenue facility under the guidance of trained professionals.
