NATIONAL boxing coach, Lennox Daniels, will head to Linden this weekend for the first of a series of coaching programmes and talent-spotting throughout the country. Following his visit to the mining town, Daniels will head to Region Six (February 5-9), along with Region Nine.

According to president of the Guyana Boxing (GBA), Daniels’ journey is part of the sport’s local governing body’s plans to decentralise the sport and ensure that every aspiring boxer is given a chance at developing his/her talents and be exposed.

Ninvalle explained that unlike his visit to Regions Six and 10, while in Region Nine, Daniels will spend beyond two days. This, Ninvalle said, is to ensure that the National coach is given a chance to reachting as many areas as possible in the Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo area.

Meanwhile, Ninvalle said the GBA, behind Daniels, will begin to intensify preparation for the March 22 – April 2 American Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Championships, which is set for Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Olympian and Youth Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Keevin Allicock, along with the Jackman sisters – Abiola and Alesha, Mark Crawford, Richard Howard, Patrick Harvey, Travis Inverary, Jamal Eastman, Joel Williamson, Desmond Amsterdam, Colin Lewis, Julius Kesney, Quacy Abrams, Emanuel Pompey, Delroy Fordyce, Renaldo Niles, Aluko Bess and Richard Subraty are the 18 boxers currently in training for the Elite Continental tournament.

Ninvalle said GBA expects Daniels to “bring his unique style of coaching to the team’s preparation, and we at the Executive level expect to see a marked difference in the way in which our fighters are prepared.”

The medallists in each of the 13-man and 12-woman weight categories, according to the AMBC, will receive prize money – US$10 000 for first place, US$5 000 for second and US$2 500 for third place.