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THANKS to the efforts of the K. Juman-Yassin-led Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), the Steve Ninvalle-steward Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) was able to secure a monthly stipend for six of its Simon Purees, in the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Brazil. Two Saturday’s ago, the six boxers, namely Dennis Thomas (middleweight), Eon Bancroft and Ron Smith (welterweight), Stefan Gouveia (lightweight), Imran Khan (bantamweight) and the lone female in the midst, Theresa London, inked their names to the respective contracts for the allocation of the stipend.
Come Thursday, the six will be receiving their first monthly allocation of $25 000 from Ninvalle, who showered praise on Juman-Yassin and the GOA for the initiative being taken, calling it a wonderful step as the GBA aims to medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
“This is part of the over G$5M, the GOA has invested in the GBA’s plans for Rio de Janeiro 2016 and even amateur boxing in Guyana. This is a significant step towards the development of amateur boxing in this country and I wish to once again thank the GOA president for his support since the association has been longing for such support,” stated Ninvalle.
Ninvalle, who also executes the duties of Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, told Chronicle Sport the GBA has two tournaments in Cuba, to which they are looking to send a contingent of boxers.
“In June of this year, there will be two tournaments held in Cuba, the Roberto Balado and the Cardova Cardin Boxing Tournaments which will be held from June 4 to 11 and 15 to 22 respectively.
Initially, the GBA, whose selection panel will sit and decide on the boxers to represent Guyana at these two championships, had it in mind to send 10 boxers along with a manager and coach to both tournaments but due to financial constraints will now target a contingent of eight which includes six boxers,” said Ninvalle.
Ninvalle expressed tremendous confidence in his pugilists who go through a rigorous training session under the watchful eyes of Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan and called on Corporate Guyana to throw their lot into ensuring the GBA sends the best possible team to Cuba in June.
“I say this. It is important for our boxers to go to Cuba for the two tournaments, since several countries will have boxers of quality competing there and it will provide us with a chance to see where we are, as it relates to a boxer medalling at the 2016 Olympics.
“We have the talent here, but it would make no sense, the boxers stay here and compete against each other regularly and when they go to tournaments such as the Pan Am Games and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) boxing championships, they are found wanting in more ways than one.”
He added, “I believe they will do well at these two tournaments in Cuba. It will also give the Cuban coach, a chance to further assess the boxers against foreign competitors of a higher quality, wherein we can decide on the way forward but the support to get them there is needed.”
Meanwhile, according to the website www.espn.go.com, Cuba is looking to break a five-decade ban on professional boxing and join an international semipro league where fighters will compete for sponsored teams, box without protective headgear and earn $1 000 to $3 000 a month. story
The country has a long and legendary boxing tradition and is usually a force at international amateur tournaments. This move represents a big step for the island’s Communist authorities, who long ago decided pro sports were not in keeping with Marxist social ideals.
The new format, the World Series of Boxing, consisting of 12 squads from across the globe that square off in a series of five fights using a point system similar to the pros, is being organised by the international boxing association known as AIBA and begins in November.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Cuba to World Series of Boxing,” AIBA president C.K. Wu said in a statement. “With a total of 116 World medals and 67 Olympic ones, Cuban boxers have always lived at the pinnacle of our sport. … We are convinced that this new franchise will bring WSB to an even higher level.”
In addition to the salaries, boxers in the series can make $500 to $2 000 bonuses, although it’s not immediately clear how, or how much, the Cubans will be paid.
They still stand to receive a big raise from their salaries, which are close to the $20 a month that most Cuban workers earn. The best boxers, those who win medals at major tournaments, are granted lifetime stipends of up to $300 a month.
Wu visited the island in January for talks with local sports officials about adding Cuba to the series. The nation’s fighters have expressed great excitement about the prospect. Boxers in the WSB will compete for 30 automatic bids to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Come Thursday, the six will be receiving their first monthly allocation of $25 000 from Ninvalle, who showered praise on Juman-Yassin and the GOA for the initiative being taken, calling it a wonderful step as the GBA aims to medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.
“This is part of the over G$5M, the GOA has invested in the GBA’s plans for Rio de Janeiro 2016 and even amateur boxing in Guyana. This is a significant step towards the development of amateur boxing in this country and I wish to once again thank the GOA president for his support since the association has been longing for such support,” stated Ninvalle.
Ninvalle, who also executes the duties of Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, told Chronicle Sport the GBA has two tournaments in Cuba, to which they are looking to send a contingent of boxers.
“In June of this year, there will be two tournaments held in Cuba, the Roberto Balado and the Cardova Cardin Boxing Tournaments which will be held from June 4 to 11 and 15 to 22 respectively.
Initially, the GBA, whose selection panel will sit and decide on the boxers to represent Guyana at these two championships, had it in mind to send 10 boxers along with a manager and coach to both tournaments but due to financial constraints will now target a contingent of eight which includes six boxers,” said Ninvalle.
Ninvalle expressed tremendous confidence in his pugilists who go through a rigorous training session under the watchful eyes of Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez Roldan and called on Corporate Guyana to throw their lot into ensuring the GBA sends the best possible team to Cuba in June.
“I say this. It is important for our boxers to go to Cuba for the two tournaments, since several countries will have boxers of quality competing there and it will provide us with a chance to see where we are, as it relates to a boxer medalling at the 2016 Olympics.
“We have the talent here, but it would make no sense, the boxers stay here and compete against each other regularly and when they go to tournaments such as the Pan Am Games and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) boxing championships, they are found wanting in more ways than one.”
He added, “I believe they will do well at these two tournaments in Cuba. It will also give the Cuban coach, a chance to further assess the boxers against foreign competitors of a higher quality, wherein we can decide on the way forward but the support to get them there is needed.”
Meanwhile, according to the website www.espn.go.com, Cuba is looking to break a five-decade ban on professional boxing and join an international semipro league where fighters will compete for sponsored teams, box without protective headgear and earn $1 000 to $3 000 a month. story
The country has a long and legendary boxing tradition and is usually a force at international amateur tournaments. This move represents a big step for the island’s Communist authorities, who long ago decided pro sports were not in keeping with Marxist social ideals.
The new format, the World Series of Boxing, consisting of 12 squads from across the globe that square off in a series of five fights using a point system similar to the pros, is being organised by the international boxing association known as AIBA and begins in November.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome Cuba to World Series of Boxing,” AIBA president C.K. Wu said in a statement. “With a total of 116 World medals and 67 Olympic ones, Cuban boxers have always lived at the pinnacle of our sport. … We are convinced that this new franchise will bring WSB to an even higher level.”
In addition to the salaries, boxers in the series can make $500 to $2 000 bonuses, although it’s not immediately clear how, or how much, the Cubans will be paid.
They still stand to receive a big raise from their salaries, which are close to the $20 a month that most Cuban workers earn. The best boxers, those who win medals at major tournaments, are granted lifetime stipends of up to $300 a month.
Wu visited the island in January for talks with local sports officials about adding Cuba to the series. The nation’s fighters have expressed great excitement about the prospect. Boxers in the WSB will compete for 30 automatic bids to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
