Harpy Eagle dominates GBA Development Tournament
Boxers pose with their winnings after the conclusion of the tournament
The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Developmental Tournament delivered an action-packed afternoon of emerging talent and competitive bouts last Saturday at the Andrew “Sting” Lewis Gym, with Harpy Eagle Boxing Gym emerging as the standout force last Saturday.
Featuring boxers across multiple age and weight divisions, the event showcased the depth of grassroots boxing talent currently being nurtured across Guyana’s leading gyms, including Harpy Eagle, Pace & Power, New Amsterdam Boxing Academy (NABA), and Andrew Lewis Gym (ALG). Harpy Eagles, under coach James ‘Sack’ Walcott, and just months after returning from six-year hiatus, was crowned Champion Gym.
The opening bout in the 23–26kg category saw Abu Barker of Harpy Eagle produce a clinical performance, stopping teammate Delroy Thomas, when the referee stopped the contest one minute, 20 seconds in the third round.
Barker’s composed finish set an early tone for his gym’s dominance.
Momentum continued in the 27–30kg division, where Omar Barker of Harpy Eagle secured a points victory over Nathan Sugrim in an evenly contested bout that highlighted the technical growth within the gym’s youth ranks.
In the 29–32kg matchup, Omarion Williams (Harpy Eagle) impressed with a rapid stoppage of Tyrese De Younge (Pace & Power), forced the referee to stop the fight after just over one minute of action in round one.
Harpy Eagle’s dominance in the early card was further reinforced when Teroy Mullin defeated Terrel Matherson (Pace & Power) in just two rounds, after the referee stepped in.
Pace & Power and ALG fought back in the middle segment of the card.
Ukesh Persaud (NABA) edged Imhotep Vanderstoop (ALG) via split decision in a tightly contested 30–33kg bout, while Denzil Thomas (Harpy Eagle) responded with a second-round win over Kevin Klass (Pace & Power).
One of the more unusual results came in the 39–42kg division, where Delon Andrews (Harpy Eagle) was awarded a walkover victory over Kelon Mullin, adding another win to the Harpy Eagle tally.
Donovon Choy then delivered one of the quickest stoppages of the day, forcing a first-round stoppage against Marcus Vanderstoop in just 55 seconds.
The female bout in the 43–46kg category saw Makayla Ross (Pace & Power) secure a well-earned points victory over Kenisha Klass in a competitive display that highlighted the growing participation and quality in women’s boxing locally.
In the 47–50kg bout, Rommel George (Pace & Power) edged Josh Chester (ALG) on points, maintaining the competitive balance between the gyms.
Dyreck Springer (Pace & Power) earned a win by abandonment over Curtis McDonald (NABA) in the 61–64kg category, while Emmanuel Sandiford (Pace & Power) narrowly defeated Hotham Vancooten (NABA) via split decision in a closely fought contest.
Akeem Ross (Pace & Power) delivered another stoppage victory, this time in round two against Itavius Vanderstoop (ALG) in the 48–51kg division.
In the final bout of the main card, Emmanuel Campbell (Pace & Power) recorded a swift win over Jofes Jackson (NABA) after Jackson was forced to abandon in the opening round at 1:02.
At the conclusion of the tournament, several standout performers were recognized for their excellence:
* Best School Age Boxer: Abu Barker (Harpy Eagle)
* Best Junior Boxer: Itavius Vanderstoop
* Best Youth Boxer: Jofes Jackson
* Best Gym: Harpy Eagle Boxing Gym
In a separate set of bouts, ALG also enjoyed success, including Lennox Lawrence pivking up a victory over Cort Mahase (NABA), while Ken Harvey (ALG) stood out with a strong performance against Isiah Nurse (RHJ), earning recognition as Best Boxer of the tournament segment.
Other notable results included victories for Josiah Thambaran (RHJ), Ronaldo Hunte (ALG), Simeon Haymer (ALG), and Jofes Jackson (NABA), rounding out a competitive and balanced showing across participating clubs.
GBA President Steve Ninvalle presented food hampers to Best Boxers and announced that the next tournament will be held on May 16th.
