Saint Lucia will proudly host this season’s AMBC Caribbean Boxing Championships from February 28 to March 2, with over 120 boxers set to participate.
The Saint Lucia Boxing Association (SLBA) has collaborated with the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports to promote this highly anticipated event. The championships will take place at the Beausejour Indoor Facility, ensuring that weather-related disruptions are avoided.
Team Saint Lucia, consisting of 15 talented boxers from Castries and Vieux Fort, is particularly focused on the athletic prowess of its promising young boxers.
SLBA President David “Shakes” Christopher pointed out that despite facing several challenges, including international disputes that delayed the championships, Saint Lucia is once again ready to host this significant event, the first since 2015.
Territories participating in the competition are Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Maarten, and Puerto Rico, all vying for ‘regional glory’ in what promises to be an exhilarating display of boxing talent. Notably, seven Caribbean nations—Barbados, Cayman Islands, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Jamaica, and Suriname-operating under the rival World Boxing Organisation, will not participate.
Christopher is calling on the public to turn out in large numbers to support the athletes and celebrate the tournament’s return, emphasizing, “We need the public to show up in force for these young warriors. They’ve trained hard, and they deserve our full backing.”
Jim Xavier, Director of Sports in the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports, highlighted the ministry’s significant investment in boxing, including the official hiring of a Cuban coach. He underscored the transformative impact boxing has on young athletes.
Xavier articulated the Ministry of Youth Development and Sports’ commitment to the growth of boxing, stating that investments in coaching, training, and infrastructure are vital for the sport’s ongoing success.
“Boxing is a sport that promotes rehabilitation and keeps our young men on the right path. Many of our young people will tell you-boxing changed their lives,” Xavier asserted.