THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has started early canvassing for support to prepare a team for next year’s Olympic Qualifiers and to send one to the Caribbean Championship.

GBA last week dispatched letters to the Government of Guyana and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) outlining its intention to send a four-man team to the Olympic Qualifiers set for March 26 to April 3 in Argentina.

In the letter to the GOA, seen by Chronicle Sport, GBA president Steve Ninvalle declared that there must be a genuinely serious approach to preparation of athletes if the country is to claim medals at major international competitions.

“The Qualifier for the Americas will be held in Buenos Aries, Argentina from March 26 to April 3, 2020 and we cannot overstate the importance of Guyana’s participation at this event, which is included in our four-year programme.

The GBA also shares the widely embraced view that boxing is still Guyana’s best chance at gaining a medal at the Olympics. However, there must be a genuinely serious approach to the preparation of athletes in order for that view to become reality.

With this in mind, GBA is now requesting that you explore the possibility of funding for overseas preparation of the boxers through the Olympic Solidarity, Pan American Sport Organisation and the GOA.

“Sir, it is only apposite that if we call on our boxers to compete against the best in the world with any measure of success, then we should provide the tools that will allow them to participate competitively.

“After careful deliberation our Coaches Commission recommended a two-month preparation stint at the High Performance National Centre in Girardo Cordoba Cardin, Cuba or any other suitable location, for the four boxers. There they will  be exposed to a wealth of sparring partners, techniques, appropriate equipment and will rub shoulders on a daily basis with some of the best fighters in the world.” Ninvalle wrote

A similar letter was dispatched to the Director of Sport, Christopher Jones. According to Ninvalle, GOA president K. Juman-Yassin gave his usual prompt reply and has since been advising the association on the way forward.

“To put it mildly we are encouraged by the response from the GOA president who has always been supportive of our efforts.

“It is because of Mr Yassin that Keevin Allicock could have prepared in Cuba for the Pan Am Games and brought us so close to a medal,” Ninvalle said.

Both Yassin and Jones were furnished with a budget for the overseas preparation for the Olympic Qualifiers.

In addition, Ninvalle warned that Guyana will obviously relinquish the Caribbean Crown if it fields a small team to the Caribbean Championships to be held in Trinidad and Tobago from December 6 to 9.

“This year Guyana will be going for a double. Last year we won the Senior and Junior Caribbean Championships. This year we have already retained the Juniors (Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors).  We will have to send a team of at least 16 boxers if we are to retain the senior Caribbean title that we worked so hard to achieve,” Ninvalle stated.

The GBA head, who is also vice-president of the Americas Boxing Confederation, noted that Barbados has already registered a team of 20 while the host nation will have no less than a 30-man strong team.  Guyana will select a squad following the Terrence Alli National Open, scheduled for next month-end.