The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will now stage the annual Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate Championship from Friday night at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym in Albouystown from 18:00h.
Initially, the GBA had earmarked the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue as the host venue.
President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle said, “While the National Gymnasium has served in recent years as the venue for this auspicious event, the decision to stage the championship at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis facility can be viewed as an opportunity to promote the sport within the community.
“Decentralisation is not only a reality of moving from one region to another, but also amongst communities within that jurisdiction.”
He further said, “We believe that this decision will bring a different ambience, environment, and flavour to the event, which has not only improved in quality with each iteration but also importance to the discipline.
“Like many sports in Guyana, boxing has always been community-based, and we believe that the best way to promote the discipline is to return to its proverbial roots, and what better way to do that than to stage a major championship at a venue that is named after one of Guyana’s most famous athletes who was not only a world champion but a son of that community.”
The event, which concludes on Saturday at the same venue, was initially slated for the month of October.
However, it was forced to be rescheduled due to the unfortunate passing of GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole, who was a vital cog in the administration of the event.
Participation has been confirmed from several notable gyms, including the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, the Forgotten Youth Foundation, Pace and Power, New Amsterdam Academy, Rose Hall, Vergenoegen and Republicans.
The official medical examination and weigh-in process for the event will take place on Thursday evening at the Mandela Avenue facility under the guidance of trained professionals.
