Guyana’s Under-16 boxers were feted on Thursday evening as a form of appreciation for their outstanding performance at the just concluded Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Junior Championship.
Contested at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from August 26-28, the championship attracted participation from four countries, with Guyana emerging overall champions.
Guyana finished on 23 points, 14 ahead of The Bahamas, followed by Trinidad and Tobago in third on eight and St. Lucia in the cellar position with five points.
On the individual side, Guyana’s Jerimiah Duncan was adjudged Best Boxer overall.
At the simple function in Georgetown, the Steve Ninvalle-led Guyana Boxing Association hosted the boxers and management team to dinner, before which the entire contingent was praised for their collective effort in keeping Guyana on top of amateur boxing in the Caribbean.
Ninvalle, in praising the boxers for their tenacity, highlighted the voluntary and selfless service of the coaches- among them Terrence Poole MS, Lennox Daniels and Sebert Blake- as a key element in the success of the Under-16 pugilists.
The long-serving sport administrator also used the opportunity to point out that for the first time, a cadre of all local referees and judges officiated at the championship, signaling the progress that has been made in enhancing the competencies of local officials.
Manager of the team Seon Bristol, coach Blake and Treasurer Dexter Patterson also praised the Guyanese boxers for their efforts over the three days, collectively stating that the future of amateur boxing looks bright with the potential shown by the current bunch.
Importantly, only two of the 17 boxers who represented Guyana at the championship had fought before the preparatory period started in February this year with the twice monthly Pepsi/Mike Parris Under-16 championship.
