Carryl opens boxing gym in Linden
By Steve Ninvalle
Stabroek News
May 17, 2003
The mining town of Linden benefited from its second boxing gym when sport enthusiast Michael Carryl opened the Carryl Boxing Gym there on Thursday.
The gym is situated on the bottom flat of a building at lot 248 Mora Street and is furnished with most equipment excluding a ring.
Former WBA welterweight champion Andrew `Sixhead’ Lewis and boxing promoter Keith `Buck’ Bazilio were on hand to witness the opening.
The proprietor of the gym declared that the institution is opened to all of Linden. In delivering the feature address Carryl said that he is using boxing to get a message across to the youth of the depressed community.
“Don’t let anyone limit you,” Carryl told the gathering. “A lot of things you will learn here will not be about boxing alone. It will help you to get on in the real world.”
The gym is the second opened by the overseas-based Guyanese within a month. The first was commissioned a few weeks ago at Dartmonth in Essequibo.
Carryl, a former amateur boxer said close to one million dollars was spent to make the Linden gym a reality. “I never quit. I put one hundred percent effort into what ever I do. I don’t accept that failure is something inevitable.
The gym is equipped with new toilets and bathrooms, heavy bags, speed balls, mittens, gloves, head gear, mouth pieces and cups. Stabroek Sport understands that a full time coach will be in attendance.
Donations have come from world renowned sports equipment manufacturer Everlast, Budget Car Rentals, North American Airlines.
Carryl pointed out that Orlon Rogers and Gary Stephens were also instrumental in making the gym a reality.
In a short address Andrew Lewis said that he travelled to Linden to give support to the youths. “Without support there is no future,” Lewis said.
Regional Field Officer Ivan Persaud who represented Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Gail Tiexeira who could not be present because of circumstances beyond her control underlined the importance of incorporating and applying all the sciences that will assist in the development of boxing especially nutrition.( to have the right balance between performance and healthy growth
Persaud, a former national football player, also encouraged the owners to make sure that the children are examined medically before starting the program to avoid serious problems.
“The coaches must coach the children as children and not as adults taking into consideration the motor qualities. eg. strength, speed, resistance, endurance etc,” Persaud added.
He urged that parents be encouraged to attend practice sessions. “This can help a lot for the children’s motivation. Rules of the sports should be a priority as much as physical condition, technical and tactical training.”
According to Persaud, the club along with the parents should monitor the performance of the young boxers at school and coaches of the gym should have at least basic knowledge of first aid to assist in simple cases of emergency.
