Coach Poole satisfied with year in boxing

By Sean Devers
Technical Director of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) and National head coach, Terrence Poole, MS, is satisfied with the standard of Guyana’s Boxing this year despite a hiatus of two years due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Poole, who in 2013 became Guyana’s first Three-Star International Amateur Boxing Association (AIBA) Coach, informed that 2022 was a hectic but successful year for local Boxing.
The big local competitions included the National Novices, National Intermediate, and National open CHAMPIONSHIPS in which FYF’s Brian Harris emerged Champion in the Middleweight division.

According to Coach Poole. eighteen juniors and schoolboy’s tournaments and one International competition, Winfield Braithwaite youths and Juniors Championships were held in Guyana, with the Terrence Ali National Open Championships, which was won by defending Champions GDF, culminated Boxing for 2022.

GDF won Novices. Intermediate and National Open while Guyana won the international competition in the schoolboys and Juniors tournaments held here.

The Rose Hall Town JAMMERS, the Vergenogen Boxing Gym and Forgotten Youth Foundation won the Schoolboys division while in the Juniors category, Joshua Thambaran, Jerimiah Duncan, Tiquan Sampson, Malchai Greenidge, Garvel Hyman, Markel Blue and Ezekiel Bancroft were the leading performers.

In the Youth Category, Travis Inverary and Patrick Harvey led the way, while in the ELITES category, Desmond Amsterdam, Keevin Allicock Colin Lewis, Troy Glasgow, Brian Harris, Julius Kesney and Donovan Richardson dominated. Glasgow and Harris both earned themselves triple crowns for the year 2022.

The Overseas CHAMPIONSHIPS were the AMBC CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, the Commonwealth Games, South American Games and AMBC CONTINENTAL youth CHAMPIONSHIPS.

Desmond Amsterdam won bronze at AMBC CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIPS and at South American Games while Keevin Allicock won bronze at South American Games while the other boxers who participated at International events were Colin Lewis, Jamal Eastman and Travis Inverary.

“Yes, I was satisfied with the standard after a return from COVID and I think we did well and also we are the first in the Caribbean to give out financial rewards to boxers while Amsterdam was first Guyanese to win Money for Bronze at the AMBC,” said Coach Poole who wished everyone, especially in the boxing fraternity, a Merry Christmas and productive 2023.