Guyana Olympic Association, Sports Commission willing to help with return of stranded boxers

The Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) are willing to assist the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) to bring home the quartet of boxers stranded in Cuba.

This is according to President of the association, K Juman-Yassin and Director of Sport, Christopher Jones after the four boxers were recently granted permission to return.

Juman-Yassin told yesterday that the GOA received a letter from the GBA requesting assistance to bring the boxers back.

He has since agreed to help the GBA and the boxers who have been stranded on the island for the past two months.

Juman-Yassin could not put an amount on his pledge since according to him, a figure is still yet to be determined to bring home the athletes since commercial flights are currently grounded in Cuba due to the ongoing pandemic.

The four pugilists, Keevin Allicock, Colin Lewis, Desmond Amsterdam and Dennis Thomas departed on January 4 for a threemonth training stint ahead

K. Juman-Yassin

of the Olympic Qualifiers which was scheduled to be held in March.

Their sojourn was made possible by the GOA and the NSC which provided the US$30,000 needed to cover the cost for stint.

Meanwhile, Jones stated “that the NSC will assist in whatever little way it can” since “the return of the boxers is of utmost importance to us.”

The NSC is also currently

Christopher Jones

covering the additional cost of food and accommodation of the quartet since they were scheduled to return home on March 19. Jones noted a payment of $1.9M was recently dispatched.

A conditional approval granted by the government for the return of 300 Guyanese paved the way for the return of the four boxers.