A new day will dawn for the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) this Saturday, when they commence their official registration drive for the opening of a new gym in the mining town of Linden. Activities will take place at the Mackenzie Car Park from noon (12pm) to 6pm.
The registration period and the eventual opening of the gym, which will be located at the Bayroc A, is part of the GBA’s objective to resuscitate boxing in the Linden.
Initially, the GBA had conceptualised two smaller registration periods on August 3rd and 4th respectively. However, a major registration drive will now be conducted, which would also feature an exhibition of activities at the Mackenzie Car Park. Approximately 30 individuals will form the machinery for the registration process and the exhibition exercises.
The quartet of Seon Bristol, Lennox Daniels, Lancelot ‘Wild Pine’ Easton and Cuban national Francisco Roldan are tasked with supervising the impending cataloguing procedure on behalf of the GBA, while 20 fighters from various gyms will be utilized during the exhibition segment.
Seon Bristol
Assistant Secretary/ Treasurer Bristol stated, “The registration drive on Saturday will target all ages. This is just the start, because there will be a continuous registration process when the gym becomes operational in 4-6 weeks. Linden doesn’t have an active gym at the moment, and that is sad.”
According to Bristol, “In addition to the registration process, exhibitions, demonstrations, and training exercises will be staged during this period. We are going to take the ring to Linden, and conduct these exhibitions and exercises during the registration period, which will provide a preview of what is to be expected at the gym when it becomes operational. At the official opening of the gym, a national tournament featuring all the major gyms will be staged.”
He further said, “Linden is a very important region in boxing. They have always had world-ranked fighters, and many of the top prospects in history have emanated from Linden. They have a strong history of building quality fighters, and we cannot ignore that. We cannot afford to forget this region, because they have made significant contributions in both the amateur and professional ranks.”
Meanwhile, GBA President Steve Ninvalle affirmed, “Linden, as a community, is unquestionably revered in the local sporting landscape. In boxing, their athletic achievements are storied, and this move, which is of developmental enterprise, has the sole objective of resuscitating a sport that produced and unearthed notable talents from that fertile soil.
“The GBA has a commitment to develop every aspect of the discipline, from its physical structure to its soft infrastructure. That is our mandate. We endeavour to restore prominence to the community that has a storied boxing tradition, which will be to the overall benefit of the discipline and the nation. That is national development!”
