GUYANA Boxing Association (GBA) and Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) have partnered to retain the services of Cuban boxing coach Francisco Roldan.

Roldan, one of two Cuban coaches contracted by the Government of Guyana and the GOA from 2012 to 2015, will return to help Guyana qualify for the Pan American games set for July.

“I promise them that I will work very hard to try to give my level best of service,” Roldan told a press conference yesterday morning at the GOA.

Meanwhile, GOA president K.A. Juman-Yassin told the media that the arrangement came about after discussions with the GBA.

“The GOA will be footing his full bill in Guyana – accommodation, meals and we want to call it a stipend other than a salary; and it is my expectation that our boxers can qualify for the Pan American Games in July,” Yassin said.

According to Yassin, “The agreement that GOA has with GBA is that once the boxers qualify for the Pan Am in July, Mr Roldan will remain here for that.”

In order to attend the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, Guyana will have to firstly qualify via a tournament set for the first weekend of April in Nicaragua.

Yassin noted that should they qualify, if Roldan attends the Pan American Games is entirely up to the GBA.

He has, however, asked that the coach’s name is added to the long list of persons interested in attending which ends on the March 31.

At the Pan Am Games, Guyana will have a chance to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020.

Should they miss that, the GOA boss stated, then there will be other opportunities and the case of Roldan would change moving forward.

GBA boss Steve Ninvalle, also at yesterday morning’s press conference, contended that “Mr Roldan will be working as of tomorrow (today) so there is not too much elbow time from him.”

Among some of the plans GBA has for Roldan’s tenure are workshops, encampment periods and other training regimen expected to put the fighters in top form ahead of the Nicaragua tournament.

To this end, the GOA also pledged equipment and has called on the NSC and the Government of Guyana to come on board in support of the initiative.