The Government of Guyana, through the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports and the Guyana Boxing Board (GCB) in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, the Office of the President, Mayor and Town Council, Guyana Police Force and a Special Organising Committee will be putting together a programme of activities to demonstrate in a tangible way their appreciation of these two outstanding Guyanese.

This was disclosed by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sport, Keith Booker, at a press conference, hosted jointly by the Ministry and the Guyana Boxing Board on Friday.

Accompanied by the Secretary of the Guyana Boxing Board (GBB), Trevor Arno, and other officials of the Ministry, Lennox Canterbury and Raymond Cummings, Booker said that Braithwaite and Harris are expected to arrive on Thursday around 15:10 hrs at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, Timehri.

The two world champions will be met by a full representative team from the government and the GBB. Steel band renditions and banners will set the scene for a true Guyanese welcome.

The two boxers will be mounted on a specially converted vehicle provided by Andrew Arts. The vehicle will have a boxing ring at the top of it to showcase the world champions for the public to see their heroes along the route from the airport to the city.

There will be a reception by the Mayor and City Council at City Hall later in the afternoon, where Mayor Hamilton Green will receive the two Guyanese champions and give them the key to the city.

On Friday, the boxers will meet President Bharrat Jagdeo at his convenience at the Office of the President and later that afternoon they will be at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall where they will have discussions with the different sportsmen and sportswomen on the wider sports scene and their rise to the top.

Director of Sports, Neil Kumar, and the National Sports Commission will then host a luncheon for Braithwaite and Harris at the Georgetown Club and later that evening there will be a reception by the Government of Guyana at the Umana Yana.

On Saturday, the world champions will be in the mining town of Linden where they will meet Regional Chairman Mortimer Mingo and Mayor Stan Smith and have lunch before visiting places of interest in the town. Later that day they travel back to the city for a reception hosted by the Guyana Boxing Board.

On Sunday November 10, the boxers will be part of the Remembrance Day parade outside the Cenotaph before they take some time off for themselves. In the evening there will be a cultural extravaganza at the National Park where reigning Calypso Monarch Vivian Jordan ‘VJ’ will organise a programme that will comprise the wide range of artists in Guyana for the big cultural explosion in honour of the world champions.

Plans are also in train for the boxers to visit Berbice and Bartica. The Ministry of Tourism will be handling the visit to Shanklands before they go to Bartica.

The Plaisance Organising Committee is also putting together their package for the visit.

Part of the activities for the boxers will be the opening of a boxing gym in Albouystown. The event is being arranged by Odinga Lumumba.