ACTION in the inaugural Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA)-organised Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL)/Gatorade/Pepsi-sponsored Under-16 championship – the first of four – punches off this weekend at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis’ boxing gym, in which over 60 boxers are expected to compete. This was announced by GABA president and Deputy Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steve Ninvalle, who took the time to address the media about the programme in the Ministry’s boardroom yesterday.
According to Ninvalle, the competition will be held on the tarmac, which is adjacent to the gym, under floodlights, with the first bout at 17:00hrs, making it the first for amateur fights at that location.
“We try to honour those that have brought good names and fortune to the Land of Many Waters and I don’t think I can remember a much more exciting time in the history of sports in Guyana, other than February 17 2001, when Andrew Lewis won the world title.
“I think it is really apt that we honour him, as he was a fabulous amateur boxer as well. So this edition will be named the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis Under-16 championship, while others will be named in honour of other great boxers, such as Terrence Alli, Michael Parris and Michael Benjamin,” said Ninvalle.
DDL partnered with the GABA on April 24, to fully sponsor this event and yesterday their Sales Manager, Alexis Langhorne, expressed the Company’s pleasure in announcing the first tournament in the GABA Developmental Programme drive.
“This developmental programme is geared towards giving aspiring boxers, the opportunity to develop their skills at an early age and at the same time expose them to organised tournaments.
“For some of these young boxers, boxing is what they dream about and this programme will not only provide the path to professionalism, but also provide gainful engagement, and at DDL, we recognise that to perform at the best of your ability, you must be given the correct environment to do so,” said Langhorne.
She added, “As such, we provide the world’s number one sport drink Gatorade to cater for the boxers’ rehydration needs and on behalf of DDL and its Pepsi brand, I would like to wish GABA and the boxers a successful and safe tournament.
“I would also like to encourage the general public to come out this Saturday and Sunday and support these young boxers, as your support will encourage them to continue doing what they love best.”
According to GABA Tournament Director Terence Poole, the Association will be using the tournament as a means of identifying boxers for international tournaments in the future, such as the 2016 and 2020 Olympics, especially with Guyana missing out on this year’s edition.
According to Poole, nine (9) gyms and over 60 boxers will be in action this weekend and apart from supplying the Gatorade for the boxers to rehydrate themselves after their bouts, DDL will also be supplying each boxer who competes at the championship, with trunks.
Out-of-town boxers will be housed at the Andrew ‘Sixhead’ Lewis gym and National Gymnasium, with Ninvalle heaping praise on Director of Sport Neil Kumar, for providing accommodation at the gym at no cost to GABA.
Meanwhile, in their bid to decentralise the sport of amateur boxing, GABA will be hosting August’s championship in the Ancient County of Berbice, while the venue for December’s championship is yet to be decided.
Lewis was also present at yesterday’s briefing and called on the general public to come out and support the championships, adding that Guyana’s future in the sport is bright as the talent is evident.