Barbados is set to invade Guyana next month with a team of 27 boxers and officials that will participate in the International Goodwill tournament.Late last week Barbados registered 21 boxers and six officials with the Guyana Boxing Association(GBA).
The contingent is the largest so far registered to take part in the upcoming event that is scheduled to run from November 26 to 29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall. The team includes four juniors, four novices, six youths and seven elites.
The Bajan team would be headed by manager Richard Atwell and includes the mother of Caribbean Amateur Boxing Kathy Harper-Hall, who will act as Assistant Manager. Last week’s registration has brought the total number of overseas boxers scheduled to fight in Guyana to 41 with the final figure set to be around 70.
French Guiana has registered 10 boxers and St. Lucia six. Both St. Maarten and St. Vincent and the Grenadines have registered two boxers each. GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole yesterday disclosed that Trinidad and Tobago is also expected to send a large team.
He confirmed that Jamaica held a box off over the last weekend specifically to name a team for the tournament. Poole noted that Jamaica was one of four countries in the inaugural Goodwill tournament that was held here in February last year.
The others were Trinidad, St. Lucia and Guyana. According to the Technical Director the Jamaican team is expected in before the end of this week along with that of Trinidad and Tobago, Bahamas, Grenada, Dominica and the US Virgin Islands.
The TD disclosed that Guyana’s Spanish speaking neighbour will be sending a team following recent discussions with GBA president Steve Ninvalle and his Venezuelan counterpart Frank Lopez in Doha, Qatar just over a week ago.
“Mr. Lopez would have indicated to our president that a team of two boxers would be making the trip to Guyana. However, we have not received Venezuela’s registration form as yet. Until such time we cannot pronounce of the category of fighters,” Poole pointed out.
Meanwhile, Team Guyana would be known following this weekend’s National Open scheduled for the East Ruimveldt Community Centre ground (California Square). “Following the conclusion of this tournament a team of fighters would be named for encampment,” Poole said.