Guyana has named a 38-man strong boxing team to defend this country against the regional invasion at the upcoming Caribbean Development International Goodwill tournament later this month. 2014 Commonwealth Games quarter-finalist middleweight Dennis `The Menace’ Thomas will lead a team that is expected to head into encampment shortly.
The squad comprises a balance of youth, juniors and elite boxers most of whom were winners at the National Open. Guyana’s two Three Star coaches Terrence `Cats’ Poole and Sebert Blake head the group of coaches training the squad.
National coaches Wincell Thomas, Clifton Moore of the Essequibo Gym, and Gregory Kurt of Rose Hall Jammers Gym will assist. Team Guyana comprises 19 elites, two females, nine youths and eight juniors.
However, Guyana will be without the services of Guyana Defence Force and national boxing treasurer Colin `Superman’ Lewis. The nephew of Guyana’s first world champion Andrew `Six Head’ Lewis hurt his hand and is side-lined for approximately two months. The injury was sustained during the National Open.
Lewis stormed to national prominence after being crowned Best Boxer in this year’s Andrew Lewis National Novice, winning in the Lennox Blackmoore National Intermediate and lifting the Best Boxer award in the recently concluded Terrence Alli National Open.
The Caribbean Development tournament will run from November 26 to 29 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and according to GABA president Steve Ninvalle, is expected to see the largest gathering of countries in Guyana for any sport activity in decades.
Three days ago the French speaking island of Guadeloupe became the 14th nation to register for the competition.
Guadeloupe has registered a four-man team comprising two boxers and two officials and joined Anguilla, Antigua, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman Island, French Guiana, Grenada, Jamaica, St Lucia, St. Maarten, St. Vincent, and Trinidad and Tobago as countries registered to participate here.
Close to 100 boxers and over 25 officials are expected in for the four-day grand event. Barbados has registered 21 boxers and six officials. The number is the largest overseas contingent down to participate. Trinidad and Tobago is next in line with 19 boxers. The Barbadian team includes four juniors, four novices, six youths and seven elites.
The upcoming tournament is the second in two years that the GABA would be hosting. In February last year the organisation held the inaugural Goodwill competition which saw Jamaica, St Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago participating.