CONTAINING the largest representation of female fighters in recent memory, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) has finalised its fight roster that will compete in the ‘Champion of Champions’ boxing tournament in St. Lucia from April 12–14.

Three females will form a significant aspect of the eight-member team, which will be under the tutelage of national coaches Lennox Daniels and Clifton Moore. They are siblings Abiola (heavyweight) and Alesha Jackman (middleweight), who represented Guyana at the World Championships in India. The other female who will be making her international debut is Angelina Rodgers (flyweight).

The other members of the squad are: Shakquain James (welterweight); Ryan Rodgers (bantamweight); Keyon Britton (44 kg); Zidhan Wray (super-heavyweight); and Junior Madray (28 kg).

Also making the journey are International Technical Officer Elton Chase and One-Star Referee/Judge Lawrence Assanah. Some of the major territories that have confirmed their participation in the competition are: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Martinique, and Trinidad and Tobago.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle said that his executive was seeking to have world rated Akeela Vancooten travel to St. Lucia but this was floored after difficulty in securing opponents in her weight and age categories.

“What is historic about our participation in this championship is that three females will compete on the international circuit, which is a major step in the development of the women’s component of the discipline. This has not occurred in years and is evidence of the strides that we are making and realising in the female aspect. Our participation in this competition arrives weeks after the introduction of the inaugural GBA academy, an initiative that further adds to the structure that has encompassed our developmental ideology,” Ninvalle added.

“The GBA views this event from a developmental standpoint, as we aim to expose our emerging talents, especially females, to the rigors of international competition, which unmistakably is experience that will prove vital with the Caribbean Championships scheduled for August. This is even more significant for the females, who are expected to lead a revolution in aspiring for more participation in the future, which is a major objective of the academy”, he added.

Guyana’s Travelling Contingent

Roster
Abiola Jackman (heavyweight)
Alesha Jackman (middleweight)
Angelina Rodgers (flyweight)
Shakquain James (welterweight)
Ryan Rodgers (bantamweight)
Keyon Britton (44Kg)
Zidhan Wray (super heavyweight)
Junior Madray (28Kg)

Technical Officers/Coaches
National Coach Lennox Daniels
National Coach Clifton Moore
One-Star Referee/Judge Lawrence Assanah
International Technical Officer Elton Chase