DAVID Christopher, president of the St Lucia Boxing Association, said Guyana missing the December 13-16 Caribbean Boxing Championship will be a shame and a big blow to boxing in the Caribbean.

Christopher, more popularly known as Shakes, was at the time speaking exclusively to Chronicle Sport, after a report was published that the Steven Ninvalle-led Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) could miss the third staging of the tournament due to the lack of funding.

The financially-strapped GBA is seeking to raise $3.5M to send a 13-member team to defend their Caribbean Championship title they retained in Barbados last year, after winning the inaugural championship in Guyana in 2015.

The St Lucian Boxing Association boss considers Guyana the ‘backbone’ of boxing in the region, stating, “Guyana is the team everyone wants to see. It would be disappointing if the team that won 10 of the 11 gold medals last year should miss this year. There must be something the Government of Guyana and those in charge could do to get that team here.”

“Imagine, the Cayman Islands are confirmed, Barbados, Bermuda and those countries will be coming and Guyana are a high doubt for this event? That doesn’t sound good because everyone knows, Guyana has some of the best fighters in the Caribbean,” said Christopher, who also happens to be Guyanese.

Shakes said if Guyana should miss the tournament it will not be a blow not only for them as hosts, but to boxing in the Caribbean. The tournament started in Guyana and Guyana’s attendance was more than important to help in the development of the sport in the Caribbean. Guyanese fighters will bring out the best in the others, so if they miss this year, it will be a shame.

Christopher said his sentiments are echoed by other regional boxing associations’ heads who all would love to see the Land of Many Waters in St Lucia.

The 13-member team of boxers will be spearheaded by Keevin Allicock and Colin Lewis, who both won gold medals at the last Caribbean Development Tournament (now Caribbean Championship), with Allicock going on to win a silver medal at the Youth Commonwealth Games in The Bahamas earlier this year.