TT boxers prepare to defend honour at regional contest

Trinidad and Tobago are preparing to host the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) Championships which will run from June 6 to13 at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo. Today Newsday will start to provides profiles of  some members of the national contingent keen on winning gold medals against the best of the Caribbean. TIANA SOSA SANEY of Tigers Gym, Port-of-Spain is a two-time national champion. For the first time in 2002 and she retained the title last year and has continued this good run by becoming the first woman gold medallist at the  2003 CABA Championships in Bahamas.

Last year she was the Amateur Boxing Board of Trinidad and Tobago’s nominee for the WITCO “Sportswoman of the Year” Award where subsequently placed 10th overall. She will be defending her CABA title at home next week and is optimistic of coming out on top. AARON CUMBERBATCH trained in Cuba from 2001-2002 and repaid this investment in his talent by emerging National Flyweight Champion in 2001 and 2002. He was also a silver medallist in last year’s championships in the Bahamas. Two years ago at the CABA Championships in Martinique he copped the gold medal in his division and was adjudged “Top Boxer”.

He followed this up with a silver medal last year in the Bahamas. AARON HASSETTE is the reigning Under-19 National Flyweight Champion and hasn’t dropped the title since picking it up in 2001. One year later he complimented the national crown with a silver medal at the CABA championships in Martinique. He also attended the 2002 World Under-19 Tournament in Cuba. The St Michael’s Home for Boys pugilist retained his national title last year and fought his way to a gold medal at the 2003 CABA Championships in Bahamas. In so doing he placed himself head and shoulders over the competition and as a force to be reckoned with at this year’s box-off in Trinidad and Tobago.