GBA names ‘formidable’ team for OECS Boxing Championships

The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has announced what it describes as a formidable squad to compete at this year’s Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Boxing Championship, scheduled for August 1-3 in St. Lucia.

Leading the six-member team is Abiola Jackman, last year’s Best Elite Female Boxer, who made history by becoming the first Guyanese- male or female- to win gold at the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Elite Championships.

She will be one of two female boxers representing Guyana, alongside Akeelah Vancooten, a former national representative at the World Junior Championships.

The remainder of the squad features Caribbean standouts Shakquain James, Teevin Wintz, Emanuel Pompey and Joel Williamson, who are all expected to deliver strong performances as they aim to match or surpass Guyana’s showing at last year’s  tournament in St. Lucia.

In a statement, GBA President Steve Ninvalle stressed the association’s strategic focus on developing young, up-and-coming talent through international exposure.

“We want to ensure that our next generation of boxers are not only well-trained but also well-exposed. Tournaments like the OECS Championships provide another platform for our athletes to gain valuable international experience,” Ninvalle said.

Ninvalle further underscored the GBA’s commitment to creating pathways for promising boxers to showcase their skills on the international stage.

“Our goal is to give the best boxers, and those with real potential, the opportunities they deserve, not just to compete, but to be seen globally,” he added.

At last year’s edition of the OECS Championship, held at the Vigie Sports Complex in Castries, Guyana finished second overall in the Invitational Category, despite fielding a relatively small team of six boxers.

Guyana tallied an impressive 14 points, securing four gold and two silver medals. The much larger Trinidad and Tobago contingent, with 16 boxers, topped the table with 33 points, while Barbados placed third with 13 points.

Among the standouts were Abiola Jackman (Elite) and Ryan Rogers (Bantamweight – Schoolboys), who captured the Best Female Boxer and Best Junior Boxer awards, respectively.

The full 2024 team also included Alesha Jackman (Middleweight- Elite, gold), Shakquain James (Lightweight- Junior, gold), Angelina Rogers (Bantamweight- Junior, silver), and Junior Madray (31-33 kg- Schoolboys, silver).

The team was led by national coach Lennox Daniels, and the late Terrence Poole, MS.