Guyana’s unrivalled dominance in boxing in the English-speaking Caribbean continued on Friday evening when Joshua Thambarran and Shakquian James captured gold medals in the respective 57kg junior and 67kg youth divisions at the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Championships in St. Lucia.
Featherweight Thambarran outboxed Jaquan Grant of Barbados to win via unanimous decision, while Welterweight Shakquian 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. Thambarran had a 6.3kg disadvantage, and James had a 5.6kg disadvantage. I advised them to avoid too many clinches by using lots of lateral movements, and to concentrate on more straight punches.
Joshua Thambarran
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 Thambarran, 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 required to challenge fighters at the higher strata. He noted, “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 guard 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 added, “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.”
