Officiating a key focus of GBA ahead Caribbean Championships
Steve Ninvalle – GBA President
The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) is moving to sharpen the standard of officiating in local amateur boxing with an international certification programme designed to bring referees and judges in line with the latest global requirements.
The programme begins on Saturday, August 15, and concludes on the morning of August 20, and will be conducted by Trinidad and Tobago’s James Beckles, one of the Caribbean’s most accomplished boxing officials.
A three-star referee and referee assessor, Beckles has operated at some of the sport’s biggest international competitions and will lead the local certification exercise as Guyana prepares to host the Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Boxing Championships from August 20-22 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
GBA President Steve Ninvalle said close to 40 participants are expected, with officials from across the country set to take part. The Guyana Police Force, Guyana Prison Service and Guyana Defence Force have also indicated their intention to send representatives.
Ninvalle stressed that the programme is particularly important as Guyana continues its transition to World Boxing, the international governing body now recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“With Guyana operating under World Boxing, it is imperative that our officials are certified using the rules and regulations of the new international federation, just as we previously did under the International Boxing Association (IBA),” Ninvalle said.
World Boxing was established in 2023 following a prolonged governance dispute involving the IBA, which subsequently lost IOC recognition. National federations, including Guyana, have since aligned themselves with World Boxing to ensure their athletes remain eligible for international competition and the Olympic pathway.
For Ninvalle, bringing Beckles to Guyana represents more than a routine certification exercise.
Widely regarded as one of the Caribbean’s leading certified boxing officials, Beckles has officiated at the Olympic Games, World Championships and Commonwealth Games, in addition to numerous continental and regional tournaments.
“We wanted someone with unquestionable international credentials to lead this programme, and James Beckles was the obvious choice,” Ninvalle said.
“He has officiated at the highest level of amateur boxing and understands exactly what is required under World Boxing. Our referees and judges will benefit tremendously from his knowledge and experience, and ultimately our athletes will also benefit from having better-trained officials.”
Ninvalle believes developing officials must be treated with the same urgency as developing boxers if Guyana is to make sustained progress.
“If we are serious about developing boxing in Guyana, we cannot focus only on the athletes. Coaches, referees, judges and administrators all have to develop together,” he said. “This certification programme is another important investment in the future of Guyanese boxing.”
The initiative comes at an important time for the sport, with Guyana preparing to welcome young boxers from across the Caribbean for the Schoolboys and Juniors Championships.
The tournament, conceptualised and first staged in Guyana in 2016, is named in honour of 1978 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Winfield Braithwaite. It has since become one of the region’s leading developmental boxing competitions.
Several participants from the championships have gone on to represent their countries at the Olympic Games and World Championships, reinforcing the tournament’s role as an important launching pad for Caribbean boxing talent.
