Guyana’ dominance on the English-speaking boxing scene continued on Friday evening in St Lucia.
According to a press release by the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA), Joshua Thambarran and Shakquain James captured gold medals in the 57 kg junior and 67 kg youth divisions, respectively, at the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Championships.
Thambaran out-boxed Jaquan Grant of Barbados to win via unanimous decision, while Welterweight Shakquain James stopped Barbadian Nathan Walcott at 1:42 in the second round.
Probed on the performance of his charges, head coach Clifton Moore, during a brief comment, said, “Exceptional; they both weighed in far below the weight of their respective opponents.” Thambaran had a 6.3 kg disadvantage, and James had a 5.6 kg disadvantage. I advised them to avoid too many clinches by using lots of lateral movements and to concentrate on more straight punches.
Moore, who hails from the Vergenoegen gym in Region #3, affirmed that he is confident in a positive display from Guyana’s solitary female pugilist, Tianna Moore, who is scheduled to enter the squared circle. He explained, “My expectation has got to be positive. This is her first outing, like Thambaran, and if he could have pulled it off in such a spectacular manner, so can she.”
Moore further posited that tournaments of this nature engineer and equip the pugilists with the necessary experience that is required to challenge fighters at the higher strata, noting, “It’s Very important. These tournaments would prepare them for a higher level of competition and make them formidable replacements for the senior boxers when the time for the “changing of the guards” comes along.”
Meanwhile, Guyana Boxing Association President Steve Ninvalle said, “Performance is empirical; that is unquestionable, and it is often the best response and output in the confirmation of developmental policies.
The ongoing OECS Championship is once again a testament to and confirmation of Guyana’s continued dominance within the English-speaking Caribbean in the sport of boxing.”
He further said, “The GBA will continue its unrelenting mantra and drive in the development of its most cherished and important department, which is the nursery, as we believe that international tournaments, especially in the Caribbean community, are the ideal avenue and platform for exposure and development.”
