Return of the Scorpions Boxing card

Coach Blake talks about female participation

By Sean Devers

FOUR female bouts are Carded on the Bris-O Promotions ‘return of the Scorpion’ Pro-Am boxing extravaganza which is set for June 3 at the National Gymnasium.

Among the female bouts will be the Jackman sisters Alisha and Abiola who will trade punches with a Jamaican and Trinidadian, respectively.

Sebert Blake, who coaches the siblings at the FYF Gym in Albouystown, provided his thoughts on the sisters and female boxing in Guyana.

Blake who quit Boxing at the age of 27 after returning from an unsuccessful Olympic Qualifiers, said that in addition to the Jackman siblings there will a junior female clash between Tafina Barker and Akela Vancooten.

“These two young ladies are very good prospects for the future of female boxing. One of the worries is getting more females boxers involved and Coach Blake said the President of the GBA wants more females in boxing.

“This is why we want these females to showcase their talent in the ring. One of the young ladies competing is a National U-20 footballer and she is 15 years old. She started boxing from very young but this would be [her] first bout. Because of her ability we wanted to put her in [the] ring to show that Guyana has depth in female boxing,” Blake informed.

“Also, we [GBA] want to encourage other young ladies to come on board and enjoy the sport. This programme that the President has set out has lots of potential to attract a multitude of ladies,” Blake continued.

“The main difficulty with have [sic] boxing in schools starts with the stigma that this sport will have some negative effect on the kids, like getting hit on the head and damaging their brain for life. The sport of boxing can get into the school system

Federation

(GFF)

President Wayne Forde has sent the federation’s condolences to the families and friends of the 19 students who tragically died on Monday morning in the Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory fire.

“The Guyana Football Federation sends deepest condolences to the families of the students who died in the Mahdia Secondary School Dormitory fire on Sunday. It is hard to fathom the pain that you are going through at this time. The loss of a child is something that no parent should ever have to endure. I am deeply sorry for your loss. As a father, I cannot begin to imagine your pain and suffering at this moment. Your loved ones were taken from us far too soon, and their untimely passing is felt deeply by all of us,” he shared on behalf of Guyana’s football fraternity.” because there is something called School Boxing. Why we call it school boxing is because it’s non-contact; like in Karate it’s called Kata.

Reports are that the fire started shortly before midnight on May 21 and quickly spread throughout the building housing students from remote villages in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).

“A few years ago, I developed a programme to introduce boxing into the school system but we never got to that level for Education Ministry to bring that sports. But hopefully that can happen in the future.

“We have to talk with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Sport. But we do have a plan for a proposal to send to them to get boxing into schools as a non-contact sport.” Coach Blake explained.

“One reason they [the Jackman sisters] are missing out on quality sparring is because the boxing culture (among women in Guyana) is non-existent.

In Guyana, there is a stigma in women's boxing...

President Forde added that the GFF is ready to offer support to the families in their time of grief and that his thoughts and prayers are also with those who were injured in the fire.

“They were young, full of life, and had so much potential ahead of them. It is a tragedy that they were taken from us before they could fully realise their dreams. I know that no words can ever truly ease the pain that you are feeling right now. But please know that you are not alone in your grief. The entire nation is mourning with you, and we are here to offer any support and comfort that you may need. Our thoughts and prayers are also with the children who were injured in the fire.”

“May the love and strength of family and friends surround you during this difficult time. We will always remember your children and the impact they had on our lives. They will forever be in our hearts and memories. May their souls rest in peace.” about hurting their face… head injuries and so on. They work a lot with each other since they are sisters. But it's mostly like an exhibition and nowhere close to competition," said Blake, an IBA three-star coach.

"Hopefully, we can take these videos of the performances back to Guyana and broadcast it [sic] back home so that some of the youngsters are able to see it and would be inspired to join the sport. We want to spread that message as much as possible," said Blake

"I'm hoping for them to qualify for the Olympics, but it's an uphill task for 2024. We are looking at 2028 and beyond. I believe the two girls have the ability and if they are nurtured in the right direction, we can make 2028 for sure," Blake disclosed.