LED BY Anderson Emmanuel, Barbadian boxers won one gold and four bronze medals recently at the Jose “Cheo” Aponte Boxing Championships in Puerto Rico.
Emmanuel, the 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, won one gold and one bronze medal, and super heavyweight Damien Sealy two bronze medals.
Barbados-based Keithland King, who was representing St Vincent in the welterweight division, won a bronze medal, but shut out were Caribbean champions Omar Ward (lightweight) and bantamweight Bradley Redman.
“I fought two Puerto Ricans. It was very tough and I was the lightest person in the weight category,” Emmanuel told WEEKEND SPORT.
“I fought above my weight for the first time. The fellows were about ten to 20 pounds heavier. I couldn’t really mix up with them because they would have put their weight on me to get me tired.
“I had to use my skills and technique to fight from the outside and look for an opening. I relied on speed and defence.”
Emmanuel also fought against an opponent from the Dominican Republic at the “Cheo” Aponte Cup where he won the bronze medal. That style was different to the Puerto Ricans and Emmanuel admitted he made some mistakes, being too stationary and not throwing enough punches. He lost on points.
Head coach Gary Bowen praised Emmanuel, who was forced to fight above his weight category in the super heavyweight division.
“To win a gold medal in that division was an outstanding achievement. I have to complement him for doing so, but he will be back to heavyweight for the CAC (Central American and Caribbean) Games,” Bowen said.
Bowen said Sealy also fought well, but sustained an injury in the first match which flared up in the second.
The boxer injured his shoulder against opponents who got under his defence, and Bowen stopped the second fight in the second round to preserve him for the CAC Games.
Bowen said this card was used to assess the readiness of the boxers as they continued their preparation for the CAC Games in Puerto Rico next month.
There were also boxers from Guatemala, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico’s A and B teams, Colombia and Ecuador.
“It is to assess what the opposition will be like at the CAC Games. Apart from Brazil and Ecuador, all of the other countries will be there, as well as a lot more like Venezuela and Colombia,” Bowen said.
He added that all of the boxers needed to step up to the next level.
“Right now it is at an accepted level, but we need to step up. It is a level whether we can participate, but I don’t just want to participate.
“The preparation will be intensified all around – strength, speed, endurance and technique – for CAC.”
