Amateur boxers to undergo six months training stint in Cuba

Local amateur boxing coaches will convene this weekend at the Forgotten Youth Foundation (FYF) Boxing Gym to select ten boxers, that will eventually dwindle to five, to participate in a 6 months training programme in Cuba starting in January next year.
This initiative was discussed when President of the Guyana Olympic Association, K. A Juman Yassin convened a meeting with several of these coaches to put the logistics in place. To this extent, the coaches are determined to select the best representation for this programme.
Kaieteur Sport was reliably informed that the boxers would undergo a special training regiment to prepare them for participation in the 2010 Commonwealth Games scheduled for India.
One of the coaches involved in the process intimated that they would be looking at the boxers’ performance over a specified period to determine which ones are best suited for the programme.
The coach said that while the criteria is yet to be discussed in detail, boxers with international experience and those that have been consistently outstanding in local competitions, stand an excellent chance of being selected.
The source further intimated that at present the Cuban authorities have signaled an intention to host 5 boxers but the selecting committee would identify 10 boxers just in case more places become available.
The source also said that the boxers given first preference would be notified so as not to cause unnecessary disappointments.
This newspaper spoke with President (ag) of the Guyana Amateur Boxing Association (GABA), Eustace Cuffy.
He confirmed that coaches would convene to select a team but shied away from identifying any front runners for the positions.
Cuffy lauded the initiative saying that local pugilists are in dire need of such international exposure. He further stated that at the end of the selection process the best available boxers would be sent to Cuba.