17 selected for Caribbean School Boys and Juniors boxing tourney

The Guyana Boxing Association has announced a 17-member team that would represent the Golden Arrowhead next weekend at the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament.

This is a competition that GBA President Steve Ninvalle says the Caribbean desperately needs.

After taking more than 30 youth pugilists through training and encampment over a month ago, a final 17 boxers have been decided upon to represent Guyana at this tournament. Initially scheduled to be contested this weekend, the tournament has been rescheduled, and will see the first punch being thrown on Friday, August 26th. Thereafter, activities would run until Sunday, August 28th.

The Guyanese team reads: Shawn Sabola (Rose Hall Jammers) Matthew Thomas (RHJ), Travis Sancho (RHJ), Joshua Thambaran (RHJ), Arlington Johnson (RHJ), Jahuan Haniff (RHJ), Markel Blue (Vergenoegen Boxing Gym), Garvel Hyman (VBG), Malachi Greenidge (Forgotten Youth Foundation), Tequan Sampson (FYF), Seon Graham (FYF), Shaquan James (FYF), Dwane Baptiste (FYF), Eon Bancroft Jnr (Young Achievers), Kendel De Monic (YA), Jerimiah Duncan (PPBG) and Yusdiel Gala (‘Six Head’ Lewis Boxing Gym).

Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle, in giving an update on the tournament, disclosed to <<Guyana Times Sport>> that 4 Caribbean nations have confirmed their participation.

“As it is right now, we’ve had confirmation from four countries participating in this tournament. We expect them to start arriving late next week. And our hope is that we have a tournament that we can all be proud of, as Guyana and as a region,” Ninvalle said.

About the Guyanese team, he added, “We have started encampment for our local boxers, and we would have been in preparation for this since the start of this year. That’s the reason why we would have been having two under-16 competitions per month.”

The Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament was first hosted in 2016 in Guyana, and was put on the sidelines due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Owing to this, Ninvalle has underscored the need for this tournament when he explained, “Many of the Caribbean countries are now recovering from COVID-19. As a matter of fact, some have said that there are no school boys or junior boxers right now, the fact being that many have gravitated towards other activities during the two years we had the COVID-19 lockdown.

“We still see it very, very important and apposite that we have this tournament, and we keep it alive because of the fact that if we do not have a robust and energetic nursery, then it’s going to become even more difficult to have proper seniors,” the GBA Boss clarified.

The Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament will be hosted at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH).