THE St Lucian Boxing Association has confirmed a team of four to participate in the inaugural Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors boxing tournament scheduled for Guyana later this month.
The St Lucian team will comprise three boxers and a coach.It would be led by light welterweight Nathan Ferrari. The others are lightweight Kareem Boyce and welterweight Taj Brown. Ferrari was named St Lucia’s Best Junior Boxer of 2015 and would be making his second trip to Guyana.
He and Brown last week participated in an international competition in Guadeloupe. David `Shakes’ Christopher, president of the St Lucia Boxing Association, announced that his team is well prepared for Guyana.
Christopher disclosed that the tournament in Guadeloupe provided ample groundwork for his troops. The naming of Team St Lucia has brought to two the number of Caribbean nations that have listed sides to the tournament.
Last week the Jamaica Boxing Association had named a three-man team to represent that country in Guyana. President of the JBA Stephen Jones stated that two boxers and a coach have been confirmed to represent the Caribbean island.
Joshua Forrest Davidson (69 kg) and Daniel Hylton (60 kg) would be battling for Jamaica during the two-day tournament. Robert Napier is the coach. Hylton was in Guyana last November for the Caribbean Development Tournament.
He defeated local Christopher Moore in his first fight but was later stopped by Trinidadian Justin Parris.
The Schoolboys and Juniors tournament is set for April 29 and 30 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and is organised by the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association.
GABA president Steve Ninvalle said that Jamaica was due to send a larger contingent. However, one of its top junior fighters died by drowning late last month.
The tournament is the first of its kind in the Caribbean and comes on the heels of the 13-nation Caribbean Development Tournament held here last year.
It is being held at a time when the region is clamouring for more emphasis to be placed on the sport’s nursery.
The English-speaking Caribbean sent a total of 36 fighters to last month’s Olympic Box-off in Argentina but only two qualified.