THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has been instructed not to accept an invitation from the Suriname Boxing Association (SBA) to participate in a competition in the Dutch speaking nation later this month. 

The instruction was issued yesterday by AIBA, the world governing body for amateur boxing. “AIBA has made it abundantly clear that at this point in time Guyana should not accept such an invitation,” GBA president Steve Ninvalle said yesterday.
The GBA had on Saturday written to AIBA seeking clarification on whether to accept the invitation from the SBA to participate after receiving conflicting signals from Suriname.
Ninvalle explained that last week his association received an email from the secretary of SBA, Horbert Dompig, asking for Guyana’s participation in the competition from October 23 to 27. However, president of the SBA, Remie Burke, later disclosed that his association had not given permission for the competition.
In a letter to GBA, Dompig claimed that six of the seven-man executive of the SBA voted in favour of staging the competition and it was only the president who was attempting to derail the upcoming event.
While admitting that there are two factions jostling for power in SBA, Burke claimed that two executives including treasurer Sonny Dest remain loyal to him.
“Do not accept any invitation if not approved or sent by the president of the Association,” AIBA instructed by way of email.
“We respect the decision made by AIBA and would comply. We also wish to thank AIBA for such a swift response. Our hope is that Suriname would sort out its internal issues soon so that healthy competition between our two nations can return,” Ninvalle added.
AIBA has been strict in relation to adherence to its mandates by affiliates and several countries have been suspended during 2014 for infractions.
Guyana was being asked to send a team comprising referees, judges, boxers, and some members of its executive to the competition which would be staged at the same time of the Inter-Guiana Games.

Caption: