Guyana’s Harvey cops bronze at Youth Games

PANAMA CITY, Panama (CMC):

One of Guyana's most talented pugilists, Ken Harvey, secured his country's first medal of the 2026 South American Youth Games when he captured bronze in the 60kg division.

Harvey, who represents the Andrew Lewis Gym in Albouystown, delivered a string of impressive performances to earn Guyana's first medal at the Games since the 2017 edition in Chile.

His road to the semi-final included a dominant stoppage victory over Paraguay's Edgar Miranda in the quarterfinals.

However, in his next fight Harvey was edged by Brazil's Dos Santos Maicon 3-2 in a closely contested bout, with the winner earning a place in the gold medal match.

His performance was lauded by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), with President Steve Ninvalle acknowledging his historic accomplishment.

"The fight was close, and even though we would've loved for him to advance to fight for the gold medal, we are extremely proud of his performance and how he represented Guyana and the work we've been doing at the boxing association.

"He has shown that he can compete with the best in South America, and he has now positioned himself as one of the best," Ninvalle added.

Ninvalle highlighted the association's structured youth development programme, which focuses on identifying promising talent and gradually exposing them to regional and international competition.

According to the president, Harvey's success reflects not only his individual dedication, but also the collective effort of his coaches at both the national level and within his Berbice-based gym.