Golden Jaguars set for two training camps ahead of Gold Cup

GUYANA’S senior men’s national team; the Golden Jaguars, will take part in two training camps in Jamaica and the United States ahead of the Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims in June.

Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz and the local squad are set to depart Guyana tomorrow for Jamaica where they will join the overseas-based players for an intensive training camp until June 5.

The team will then leave the Caribbean nation for a second camp in Miami which concludes on June 15.

The Golden Jaguars will play their first match against Grenada on Saturday, June 17 at the DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 2023 Gold Cup Prelims are being held between June 16 - 20, and this is Guyana’s second appearance in the regional competition.

In an interview at a recent KFC Elite League match, Head Coach Shabazz acknowledged that Grenada is a formidable team, but quickly added that he is making adjustments in order to strength- en his side for the much-anticipated match

“We are very aware that Grenada is a different challenge.

This is a tier one team that was playing the big dogs recently, they have a lot of players coming out of England. We’re trying to bring in one or two players to strengthen the squad, yet keep the chemistry and the camaraderie and the discipline that we had in the last quarter so yes we’re constantly looking to tweet things to improve.”

The Golden Jaguars qualified for the Concacaf Gold Cup Prelims following a second-place finish in Group C of League B in the 2022–23 Concacaf Nations League.

Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) president, Steve Ninvalle, said, “The amateur section has been officially confirmed and promises several exciting salvos, especially those of the international flavour This fight card provides a synergistic approach to development, as amateur fighters, several of whom will be experiencing such a novel atmosphere, and professional pugilists can share the same ecosystem despite the obvious differences in their career paths. That is the immediate tangible benefit of such a fight card.”

He further said, “While any form of deferment can be deemed as an unfortunate episode, the additional wait has only added to the anticipation and excitement of the fight card It has provided an avenue for increased marketing and publicity; an element of importance that should not be understated or underestimated More importantly, it has also provided an opportunity for an increased training window for our combatants which only add to and aid in their performance on the night.”

The Fight Night was re-scheduled from its initial date of May 21st due to Colombian pugilists Ronald Ramos and Luis Carillo failing to attain the requisite travel documentation to Guyana This was confirmed by the organisers, Briso Promotions.

All tickets purchased remain valid for the re-scheduled date at the same venue Tickets can still be purchased at the sole location of Hot & Spicy Creole Corner The prizes are: VVIP $10,000, VIP $6000, Ringside $3000, and Stand $1000

The ‘Return of the Scorpio’ Pro/Am Card is regarded by many experts as the largest fight card in more than a decade and is expected to surpass the overall quality of the critically praised Patrick Forde Memorial Championships, which is the yardstick for a local boxing event

The five exciting professional bouts will be headlined and co-headlined by Elton Dharry and Dexter ‘De Kid’ Marques respectively

Dharry will make his return to the squared-circle against Ramos in an eight-round Bantamweight fixture whilst Marques will engage Carrillo in an eight-round Super Bantamweight encounter.