WITH two days remaining for the start of the second edition of the Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Championship, local fans are in for a treat as five countries have indicated their participation in the tournament which gets underway at 20:00hrs on Friday night at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

To date, Trinidad and Tobago, St Lucia, Barbados, Jamaica and Suriname have confirmed their participation and all of them will be seeking championship honours, and to dethrone defending champions and hosts Guyana during the three-night event.
The locals, however, will strive to emulate their senior counterparts, who made a definitive statement a few months ago by making a clean sweep of the prestigious medals at the Caribbean development tournament in Barbados.

St Lucia encamped a squad a few weeks ago and local fans can expect quality pugilists, since St Lucia boxers have always demonstrated the level of application, determination and skill necessary for action-packed encounters.
The team will be coached by former Guyana amateur champion Conrad Hunte with assistance from the country’s boxing association president David `Shakes’ Christopher.
Trinidad and Tobago selectors will field an eight-man team and their association’s president Cecil Forde is beaming with confidence.

The team comprises Abdul Taylor, Tyriane Hosien, Blessing Waldropt, Denzel Massy, Meshack Thomas, Nyrell Hosein Juan Rodriguez and Edwin Felix.
The names of Suriname’s team are yet to be released, but one can reasonably assume that the team would have learnt from their sojourn in Guyana last year, when Guyana hosted the inaugural Schoolboys and Juniors tournament.
Barbados is also to name its team.
Jamaica’s five boxers will be accompanied by two coaches and that country’s boxing association president Stephen `Bomber’ Jones.
The reggae punchers will be led by lightweight Daniel Hylton who would be on his third trip to Guyana.

Hylton first fought in Guyana in November 2015 when he contested the first Caribbean Development tournament at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the following year (2016), he participated in the inaugural Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors tournament.
Hylton will be supported by Joseph Coley, Ramone Chung, Reshawn McWhinney and Jerome Ennis.
The team’s head coach is Gilbert Vaz, while Godfrey Collins is the assistant coach.