Three foreign fighters on Olympic qualifying squad
By Ian Prescott (express).THREE North American-based fighters have been selected on the nine-member Trinidad and Tobago amateur boxing team, which competes at the Olympic Qualifiers Of The Americas, in Brazil, from May 4-16. The fighters will be seeking to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics.
The T&T team includes the United States-based duo, Lawrence Singh and Carlos Suarez, as well as Canada-based Lexon Bates. These three fighters qualify to represent T&T due to parentage.
Also selected are highly-rated and experienced local amateurs Aaron Prince, Michael Alexander and Andrew Fermin, as well as Skakir Garcia, Devon Jones and Devon Calliste. A notable absentee is 2010 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Tariq Abdul Haqq, due to a combination of injury and school exams.
The T&T team was announced yesterday, at a media conference, at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port of Spain.
The boxers are now in camp in Marabella, where they will undergo final preparations.
"I am quietly confident that at least three of the fighters will qualify, "stated T&T Boxing Board of Control (TTBBC) special adviser Boxu Potts. "Those of you who want to qualify still have work to do. Box-offs are not easy to qualify from."
Potts also said the camp is not a hotel lime or a holiday, and admonished selected fighters to work harder at improving before leaving for Brazil.
Potts thanked the Ministry of Sport for making the camp possible, and for funding preparation fights against teams from Guyana, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. But he also declared that private sponsors have a role to play now, rather than after the team is successful.
"You cannot wait till they come back here with a gold medal. Look at these fighters...sponsor one now."
READY TO RUMBLE: Amateur boxers, Michael Alexander, left, Shakir Garcia and Declan Calliste have all been selected on the nine-member Trinidad and Tobago team for the Olympic Qualifiers Of The Americas, in Brazil, from May 4-16. —Photo: Ian Prescott
