Second place finish for Team Guyana at ‘Champion of Champions’

Despite fielding a team that comprised several debutants, Guyana finished second overall in the Order of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) ‘Champion of Champions’ Boxing Tournament in St. Lucia on Saturday.
Guyana finished level on points with Barbados for the silver medal spot, as the host nation ended atop the standings. Martinique rounded out the top four.
On the final night of the competition, Guyana ended with a record of three wins and a loss. Ryan Rogers defeated Shane Brandon of Martinique via referee stoppage in the second round.
Shaquan James forced a referee stoppage against Rayan Placid of Martinique in the first round. Alesha Jackman won via walkover after her scheduled St. Lucian opponent failed to enter the squared circle.

Meanwhile, Zidane Wray lost to Barbadian Emerson Hurley via a points decision.
On Friday, Angelina Rogers lost to Auriane Bonvan of Saint Martin via decision. Abiola Jackman defeated Marisa St. Catherine of St. Lucia, who abandoned the contest in the first round.
Unfortunately, Keyon Britton and Junior Madray did not enter the squared circle due to the unavailability of opponents in their weight and age categories, respectively.
On the individual side, Ryan Rogers copped the Best Junior Male award, while Abiola Jackman walked away with the Best Elite Female accolade.
Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) President Steve Ninvalle said, “While our primary objective was simply the exposure of emerging talents in a competitive international environment, the resulting success of the team not only justified our initial decision but illustrates that the structures that have been employed by the association are vital to the continued development and growth of the sport.”
He further said, “International exposure is a vital component of development and is required, especially for burgeoning talents that compete in disciplines that have smaller talent pools. This is even more critical in the female aspect, where participation is a major challenge. The GBA is very proud of the team’s achievements and will continue to undertake similar initiatives and efforts for the greater good and future development of the discipline.”