THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is preparing to host 12 French and English-speaking Caribbean nations for the second edition of the Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament, scheduled for May 12 to 14 at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
According to GBA president Steve Ninvalle, already Suriname, Jamaica and St Lucia have confirmed their participation for the three-night tournament and he (Ninvalle) is confident that Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Cayman Islands, Grenada and Bahamas will each send a team to Guyana.
Ninvalle said the French-speaking nations of Guadeloupe, Martinique and French Guiana have signalled their intentions to also send teams.
According to Ninvalle, it is expected that the programme will see approximately 100 boxers and officials of the various countries in Guyana for the tournament.
Ninvalle said the GBA will encamp a squad of boxers after the conclusion of the Pepsi Under-16 championships scheduled for next month.
The Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament is the brainchild of Ninvalle and the tournament focuses on the nursery of the sport. It is the first to be held in the Caribbean.