…Guyana’s Ezekiel Bancroft adjudged Tournament’s Best Boxer

Story & photos by Sean Devers

THE final night of the three-night seventh Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Girls Boxing attracted the largest turnout with six-time defending Champions, Guyana retaining their title at National Gymnasium on Sunday night.
When the dust had settled after midnight, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Lucia and debutants Surname had finished in that order, with the Dutch nation just missing out on a Bronze medal spot by a single point.
Guyana’s Ezekiel Bancroft, who won gold in the schoolboy’s 13-14, 40kg division, was adjudged the tournament’s Best Boxer.
Surname, Guyana’s South American neighbour to the east, was very impressive, while most of the other teams are improving rapidly at this level due to their participation in the developmental tournament, the only one of its kind in the Caribbean.
The Girls from Suriname won two of their bouts, and demonstrated very good boxing skills, while the same can be said of the ‘Trinis’. This is an area that Guyana has to work on more.

Among those attending for the first time were President of the Guyana Boxing Board (GBB) Peter Abdool, and the former World’s top super Lightweight contender Terrance Ali, who is not doing too well.
Ali, who had 52 wins,15 losses and two draws between 1979 and 1997, will be remembered as the best fighter Guyana has ever produced to never win a world title. He was interviewed live on YouTube, where the tournament was streamed live by Pixel Perfect Productions.
In the Juniors 75 kg final, when Guyana’s Joffes Jackson matched gloves with St. Lucia’s Elroy Canchon, it was, arguably, the best fight of the night.
Both pugilists went at each other from the first bell.
They went toe-to-toe, and traded punches in bunches, firing away with left/right combinations and counter-punches.
A right hook from Jackson staggered Canchon, and as he wobbled on the ropes in the second stanza, the referee rushed in to administer a mandatory 8-count.
The battle continued in the same vein, with some clinical uppercuts to the body and well-executed straight rights to head.
Every time Jackson landed a punch, the Gymnasium erupted in a raucous crescendo of noise from the home fans.
In the end, it was the Guyanese who won the gold medal in a hard-fought contest.
The Youth Women’s 52kg final between Guyana’s Angelina Rogers and Suriname’s Anjali Toolsie turned into a brawl.
The action was fast and furious, with the taller Surinamese demonstrating better technical skills.
In a hectic battle that entailed some ‘roundhouse’ swings, especially from Rogers, set up an entertaining contest which had supporters from both sides dancing in the stands to pulsating ‘vibes’ from the sound system.
The main sponsors of the tournament were the Guyana Government, the Sports Ministry, and GOA President Godfrey Munroe, who was on hand to present prizes, while Olympian Keevin Allicock handed out prizes to the gold medallists in the Schoolboys and Girls division, on behalf of MVP Sport and Smalta.

RESULTS:
Youth 63.5kg Shakquian James (GUY) beat Leon Loudat (ANT)
Schoolboys 11-12, 26kg Kevin Klass (GUY) beat Nervon Medrick (SLU)
Finals:
Schoolboys 11-12, 44kg Kenroy Klass (GUY) beat Drayson Roberts (GRN)
Schoolboys 13-14, 44kg Kenisha Klass (GUY) beat Grace Harry (TTO)
Schoolgirls 11-12, 44kg Tehelya Arabi Nikrui (SUR) beat Melia Barker (GUY)
Juniors 66kg Jaquan Grant (BAR) beat Herve Charlemange (SUR)
Youth Women’s 52kg Anjali Toolsie (SUR) beat Angelina Rogers (GUY)
Youth 57kg Neraj Mahadeosingh (TTO) beat Sam James (GRN)
Youth 60kg Chael Main (SUR) beat De Andre Hector (GRN)
Juniors 80kg Lammend Alexander (SLU) beat Jahar Browne (ANT)
Juniors 75kg Joffes Jackman (GUY) beat Elroy Canchon (SLU)
Juniors 63kg Makieve Bellile (TTO) beat Simeon Haymer (GUY)
Elite 67kg Travis Inverary (GUY) beat Tony Lin (SUR)
Elite 86kg Dwayne July (GUY) beat Richard Everd (SUR)
Youth Women’s 52kg Reyah John (TTO) beat Tofina Barker (GUY)
Juniors 60kg Ken Harvey (GUY) beat Kurt Kirton (SLU)
Juniors 70kg Chance Niles (GUY) beat Med Charles (TTO)