THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is considering organising a three-week training camp in Cuba, as part of its preparations for the upcoming Pan American Games in Chile.
The GBA’s main objective is to qualify for the Olympics, and they are committed to providing the best possible environment for their boxers to achieve this goal.
GBA President Steve Ninvalle stated, “Our goal is to qualify for the Olympics, and we are dedicated to creating the ideal conditions for our fighters during the preparatory phase. We are currently working on a plan to assess the feasibility of conducting a training camp in Cuba.”

Ninvalle also emphasised the importance of qualifying at this stage, as it would eliminate the need to prepare for another qualifier in 2024, and allow the team to focus solely on the Olympics. This demonstrates the GBA’s commitment to developing the sport through international competitions and training camps, which also provide valuable international exposure for the boxers.
If the proposal is approved, the team will be supervised by Cuban trainer Francisco Roldan, and would depart for Cuba next week. The Pan American Games will take place in Santiago, Chile, from October 20 to November 5, with boxing events scheduled from October 21 to 27 at the La Reina Community Sports Centre. The finalists in the respective weight divisions will earn automatic berths for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

The GBA’s five-member fight squad is one of the largest in recent participation in the competition, and includes Desmond Amsterdam (79 KG), Keevin Allicock (57 KG), Emmanuel Pompey (92 KG), Joel Williamson (63.5 KG), and Alesha Jackman (66 KG). The Technical Director of the GBA, Terrence Poole, will oversee the technical staff, which includes Cuban coach, Roldan.
Guyana’s last participation in the Pan American Games occurred in 2019, with Allicock being the sole representative in Lima, Peru. The country’s last boxing medal in the event was secured by Clive Atwell in 2007 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where he won bronze in the 54-kg category. Prior to that, Guyana won two bronze medals in the 1991 Games in Havana, Cuba, thanks to Poole (81 KG) and Stephan Rose (51 KG).

Overall, Guyana has won one silver and seven bronze medals in the history of the Pan American Games, making it the second-highest achiever in the English-speaking Caribbean, trailing only behind Jamaica, which has captured a total of 11 accolades.