Ninvalle lauds prize money for AMBC Elite Continental Championship

President of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Steve Ninvalle, is praising the prize structure that has been put in place by the American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) for the Elite Continental Championships, set for Guayaquil, Ecuador, from March 22 to April 2.

The medalists in each of 13 men and 12 women weight categories, according to the AMBC, will receive prize money, US$10,000 for first place, $5,000 for second and $2,500 for third place.

“It’s a really good initiative because you can remain in the amateur ranks and still make a living,” Ninvalle related in an invited comment.

Ninvalle, who also sits as a Vice-President of the AMBC, pointed to Trinidad and Tobago’s Nigel Paul, who claimed bronze and the $25,000 prize tag in the Super Heavyweight division at the November International Boxing Association (formerly known as AIBA) World Championships in Russia, adding “now he goes to this championship, and he wins that, he gets $10,000 and then there are other competition held throughout the year.”

“So you stand a chance of making a tidy sum if you are up in winnings or if you continue to win. This is an initiative of Umar Kremlev, the president of the IBA and it’s something that has been applauded and embraced across the world, because injection of cash gives boxers something to work towards, other than the pride and the glory, there’s now the financial aspect of it which means a lot,” Ninvalle further stated.

Meanwhile, the GBA president confirmed Guyana’s participation at their first AMBC tournament for 2022, noting that, “we will await the national coach, Mr. Lennox Daniels, who is expected to name a team of boxers that will be meeting with him weekly and then as we move into encampment, these boxers will have a longer time with him and of course he will be supported by a team of coaches also.”

The AMBC, according to reports, is doing everything to ensure that the event is held in the safest environment, taking into account the cancellation of several of their events being cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.