ALL systems are in place for the staging of the Guyana Boxing Association’s (GBA) Goodwill tournament which is set to box off on Friday evening at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
According to GBA president Steve Ninvalle, the local team selected to oppose their Regional counterparts from St Lucia, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago are encamped and are under the watchful eyes of the association’s Technical Director Terrence Poole along with coaches Sebert Blake, Wincel Thomas and Cuban coach Francisco Hernandez.The tournament will commence on Friday and conclude on Sunday at the same venue.
According to Ninvalle, seven boxers and four officials will represent Trinidad and Tobago and will arrive in Guyana on Thursday.
St. Lucia will be represented by three boxers and three officials. The Jamaican team is made up of four boxers and two officials.
An invitation was also sent to Barbados, but they are unable to attend because they are having a tournament during the same time.
The Trinidad & Tobago team comprises Akmal Strode (52kg), Christian McDonald (56kg), Michael Alexander (60kg), Jean Paul Cooper (64kg), Aaron Prince (75kg) and a lone female in Chimbre Taylor (75kg).
The team manager is Cecil Forde while the coaches are: Reynold Cox and Floyd Trumpeth.
St Lucia will be represented by Linden Micillen (light welterweight), Ron Bastian (light middleweight) and Arthur Mangillur (super middleweight).
The president of the St Lucian association David Christopher, manager Brian McDonald and head coach Conrad Fredericks will accompany the team.
Jamaica’s contingent comprises Patrick Sahadeo (lightweight), Anthony Clarke (light welterweight), Kestna Davis (welterweight) and Michael Gardener (middleweight).
The two coaches are Carl Grant and Godfrey Collins.
The locals selected to do battle with their Regional counterparts are; Bert Braithwaithe, Eon Bancroft and Ron Smith (welterweight), Trevon King and Dennis Thomas (middleweight), Michael April, Stephen Nedd and Junior Henry (52kg), Delon Charles (56kg), Imran Khan ande Clairmont Gibson (60kg) and females Dwon Thomp-son and Theresa London (75kg).
The squad is undergoing road work in the National Park daily from 05:00hrs and gym work from 16:00hrs at the Andrew `Sixhead’ Lewis Gym.