Seven boxers have been selected by the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) to participate in the third and final Pan American Games Box-Off scheduled for Trinidad and Tobago from April 20 to 28, but their participation depends on funding.
According to a source close to the association, the seven selected are Ryan Jeffers (flyweight), Clive Atwell (bantamweight), Ray Sandiford (featherweight), Aubrey Moore (lightweight), Hendrick Pelswijk (light welterweight), Leon Carter (welterweight) and Markember Pierre (middleweight).
The source said the latter four were selected after they won their bouts at the just-concluded senior national trials (Box-Off) which was staged at the Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis’ Gym while Atwell and Sandiford were selected because they are the reigning national champions and did not have opponents in the box-off.
Jeffers, the runner-up to national champion Delon Allicock, also did not have anyone to compete against as Allicock, the current champion had stayed away from training sessions for the past three weeks, it was reported.
The source claimed that Allicock was told about the box-off and had promised he would compete, but he did not make an appearance.
At the local Box-Off, Moore of Essequibo beat Andrew Lowenfield of the Republican Gym, Pelswijk of Ricola Gym defeated Pocket Rocket Boxing Gym’s (PRBG) Sheldon Phillips, Carter (PRBG)) beat Jermin King of the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF)Gym and Pierre defeated his gym-mate Edmon Declou.
There is a possibility that the boxers identified might be encamped two weeks before the Trinidad Box-Off.
Training sessions for those who live in and around Georgetown are being held twice daily at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall from 5am) and at the National Gymnasium (from 5pm) daily.
The first Pan American Box-Off was staged in Venezuela last month and the second in Argentina.
Guyana however did not attend any of the two, since it is believed that the locals stand a better chance of qualifying for the Rio de Janeiro Games at the Trinidad Box-Off which would involve CARICOM fighters and not the Spanish-speaking ones such as Caribbean powerhouse Cuba and South America’s Colombia and Venezuela.
Recently, GABA’s president Affeeze Khan issued an appeal to the public, seeking assistance to send the boxers to the Pan American trials.
“GABA is seeking the public’s support and is calling on organizations to sponsor boxers to go to Trinidad for Pan Am qualifying trials,” Khan told Stabroek Sport.
He said a letter was sent to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) for financial assistance and that the GABA was currently awaiting a response.
Meanwhile, the GABA also staged its National Novices and Female Championships simultaneously with the senior trial on Friday and Saturday last.
In the novices championships Kevin Calder (GDF) beat Harpy Eagles’ Ryan Alli to win the flyweight title, Toney Lancastor (GDF) lost to Charles Albert (Ricola) for the bantamweight title, Romano Clarke (Young Achievers) defeated Kishown Simon ((PRBG) for the featherweight title, Clairmont Gibson (GDF) beat gym-mate Randolph Williams for the lightweight title, Akeem Alexander (GDF) also beat his gym-mate Reinard Reynolds for the light-welterweight title, Delroy James (Republican) defeated GDF’s Kenroy Griffith for the welterweight title, Romeo Norville (Harpy Eagles) beat Jason Inniss (GDF) for the middleweight title and Jermine LaRose (Republican) defeated Kurt Elcock (GDF) for the light-heavyweight title.
In the two female finals, Okemo Todd (Young Achievers) beat Ansilla Norville (Harpy Eagles) in a light-flyweight contest and Mandessa Moses (Harpy Eagles) beat Petrola Hibbert (GDF) in a welterweight affair.
