Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Technical Director Terrence Poole confirmed that the official weigh-in process for the Vergenoegen leg of the Under-16 Championship will occur today for Georgetown teams at the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis Gym, and tomorrow for remaining participants at the West Demerara facility.
The acquisition of the new boxing ring, which was facilitated by the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, will allow the entity to decentralise its existing U16 programme, with Vergenoegen set to make its debut tomorrow.
The event, which is hosted twice per month, will occur at 17:00h at the community’s rice mill tarmac with the utilisation of the older ring.
The major gyms that have confirmed their participation are the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis, Pace and Power, Pocket Rocket, Rose Hall Jammers, New Amsterdam Academy, Bailey, and Forgotten Youth Foundation.
The annual initiative has formed the backbone of GBA’s nursery programme, and with the attainment of the new ring, will allow the Association to transport the older equipment to the various venues going forward.
Linden is slated to host the initiative two weeks after Vergenoegen. Similarly, Berbice is scheduled to take centre stage following the conclusion of the Linden activity.
Technical Director Poole said, “Tomorrow [today], the Georgetown-based teams will be conducting their weigh-in at the Andrew “Six Head” Lewis Gym. The teams from outside of Georgetown will conduct their weigh-in at the Vergenoegen gym on Saturday before the event commences in the evening. The official fixtures will be finalised after the weigh-in process.”
He further said, “We anticipate 18 fights being staged on the night. Everything is being put in place. The logistics and the systems are being finalised for Saturday [tomorrow]. We are very excited for this event, because it’s the first time we will be conducting this tournament outside of Georgetown.”
Meanwhile, GBA President Steve Ninvalle said, “These initiatives, ventures, and mechanisms are what are required for the advancement of the discipline and, more importantly, vital to the unearthing of talents. Local boxing can only develop and improve at an exponential rate in such a manner.”
He further established, “While we understand the importance of establishing a central role and hub for the discipline, a geographical reality associated with Georgetown given its proximity and status as the capital city, we believe that decentralisation is essential for the continued growth and development of boxing. That is our national approach and policy to ensure that we maintain our status as the leading light in the Caribbean. This is unquestionably development.”
