THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will stage the second edition of its developmental championship, which is slated for February 28–29 at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, and serves as part of the association’s monthly developmental protocol.

The event, which is expected to feature representation from the Guyana Police Force, the Guyana Defence Force, the Forgotten Youth Foundation, and Rose Hall Town Jammers, will feature notable categories such as schoolboys, juniors, youths, women, and the elite. The tournament is also expected to feature international flavour in the form of a Surinamese contingent, while participation from other nations and territories is also being explored by the association. The programme is supervised by Terrence Poole, the association’s technical director.

Steve Ninvalle, GBA President, said, “While the birthing of this initiative was due to the cancellation of the Terrence Ali National Open, which was unfortunate and due to events beyond our control, the programme has evolved into a creature of its own and has become of intrinsic value to the established and structured developmental apparatus that is employed by the association.”

Ninvalle explained, “This event serves as the foundation or mark for our local activities and will aid in our attempt to surpass the developmental cycle of the previous year, which was of historic proportions. As an entity, our emphasis is fixated and focused on our nursery, which, from an evidentiary standpoint, has afforded us the human capital to dominate the English-speaking Caribbean. And while he understands the importance of the sport’s sustenance, this event, which was initially conceptualised for senior persuasion, has evolved and advanced to incorporate every aspect of our boxing fraternity. This type and level of benefit are unquestionable, and we at the GBA will continue to strive to create projects, programmes, and procedures that complement the existing developmental structures.”