WHEN the three-day National Open boxing competition punches off on October 24, the Guyana Defence Force would be depending heavily on seasoned welterweight Eon Bancroft to assist in turning back the charge of the opposition. 

Bancroft, who hails from the GDF Gym, was on hand at the National Intermediate and witnessed what the Wincell `Knocker’ Thomas-trained Republicans did to his colleagues from the Army and has vowed to play his part in turning the tables around later this month.
At the Intermediate competition, a series of knockout victories over the GDF resulted in the Camp and D’Urban headquarters being crowned Champion Gym, shocking the Army boys who were forced to take second place and may be still recovering from the sudden drop.
However, if Bancroft and platoon have their way the army getting back to the top is just a few punches away.
“That was Intermediate and this is Open. I am ready to lead from the front. The GDF would be champions again. We train for and are prepared for war,” Bancroft declared. The stocky fighter is the current national welterweight champion and has the record to back up his declaration.
In February he grabbed a gold medal in the four-nation Goodwill Games held here and five months later made it into the quarter-finals at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. The 25-year-old is being trained by Terrence Poole, at present Guyana’s lone Three Star coach.
“We expect it to be a very tough competition but we have trained for tough fights and my hope is that whoever is coming up against GDF have also trained for tough encounters because the boat would be rocking,” Bancroft said.
The National Open is scheduled for October 24, 25 and 26 at the East Ruimveldt Community Centre ground.
Guyanese-born super heavyweight Quincy `Biggy’ Small, the younger brother of former WBC cruiserweight champion Wayne `Big Truck’ Braithwaite, is one of four USA-based fighters expected to return for the competition.