GUYANA’S four-member team who recently competed at the Pan American Boxing Qualifiers in Tijuana, Mexico to make the cut for the Pan Am Championships did not achieve their goal, but displayed encouraging signs for the future of boxing locally.

Dennis Thomas was the lone member to register a win before he was defeated in the quarter-final round by Raul Sanchez of the Dominican Republic. His teammates were Delon Charles (bantamweight), Jason Phillips (junior welterweight) and Dewani Lampkin (lightweight) while Sebert Blake was the manager/coach. All are expected to return to local shores today.
According to president of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA) Steve Ninvalle, despite the results, some positives did come out of the competition.
Ninvalle said, “The team that went to the Pan-Am Qualifiers was more or less a young team. Dewani Lampkin is 18 years old, Jason Phillips is 19; it’s a team that we want to mould. Maybe not for the upcoming Olympics in 2016 but for 2020.”
He disclosed too that he spoke with Blake following the completion of the tournament and he advised that the team be kept together.
Comparing the quality of local and regional tournaments to what existed at the Pan Am Qualifiers, Ninvalle believes Guyana is technically and tactically sound.
“We still need to have these guys at other competitions of this level, so as to expose them and to build their confidence. We want to ensure when they get back here, we keep that nucleus of boxers – maybe four or five, that we would keep together that would be the core from which we will select for further international competitions,” the GBA head told Chronicle Sport.
He explained that the association is looking to eradicate the attitude synonymous with local sport, which is, to disband a team or stifle athletes’ career because they lost at the international level.
“It is a costly exercise but unfortunately that is the only way to the top. If we don’t invest we might as well divest,” he added.