A house for Mr Manswell

Humming Bird Silver Medal recepient Kertson Manswell was presented with the keys to a new NHA apartment yesterday at the Tigers Boxing Gym on Prince Street, Port-of-Spain. This was a fulfillment of a promise made by the Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs Roger Boynes recently to the Tobago-born heavyweight. Over the past year Manswell has earned silver medals at the Pan American Games in Santo Domingo; the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England; and the Central American and Caribbean Games in El Salvador. He is the reigning Caribbean and national champion.

Manswell was presented with the keys to his new three-bedroom home at Almond Court, Morvant,  by Boynes in a brief ceremony. The boxer was evidently overwhelmed with the support he had been receiving prior to yesterday’s presentation and thanked Boynes for keeping his ministry’s promise. This he said would better his situation, pledging also to deliver on his promise of attaining an Olympic medal for Trinidad and Tobago next year in Athens, Greece. Boynes, an attorney-at-law and Member of Parliament for Toco/Manzanilla, has joined Manswell’s support group which include coaches Gordon Hoyte and Winston Cox; Cuban coach Vincente Martinez and businessman Tansley Thom-pson who have assisted him tremendously. Boynes revealed that his ministry, which pays the $500 rent for the Tigers Boxing Club premises, has also appointed Manswell as a co-ordinator in the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs Sport Plus Programme. They will also assist Giselle Salandy with her education and training. These efforts are part of a drive by the ministry, in partnership with the corporate community, to aid the development of young athletes easing their load and putting them in prime position to produce exceptional results internationally. Manswell was unsure of when he would move into his Morvant apartment but stated that he was very elated to have finally received the keys.