Manswell punches CABA gold

NASSAU: Trinidad and Tobago champion Kerston Manswell, a silver medallist at last year’s Commonwealth and Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, easily beat Grenada’s Shane Joseph on points for the super-heavyweight gold medal, as the Caribbean Amateur Boxing Association (CABA) championship ended at the Kendal Isaac National Gymnasium on Friday night.

Manswell, the only English-speaking Caribbean boxer so far to qualify for the Pan Am Games in the Dominican Republic this summer, won without any real trouble. Hosts Bahamas swept both junior and senior divisions to secure the overall title. The Bahamas, whose light-welterweight gold medallist Reno Johnson won the Senior Boxer and Best Boxer of the Tournament awards, gathered 44 points to capture the overall title, ahead of Trinidad and Tobago with 32 and Barbados (21). In the senior division, the Bahamas (21) led T&T (17) and Barbados (13), and the hosts collected 23 points in the junior category, to top T&T (15) and Barbados (eight).

In other senior finals, Bahamian James McKenzie beat the Cayman Islands’ George Foster-Kelly for the heavyweight title, and Martinique’s Fereol defeated Bahamian Alkeanor Saunders for the welterweight title. Boxers from Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados shared the lighter divisions. Trinidadians Devon Jones (lightweight) and Terrence Lequay (flyweight) captured gold medals over Martinique’s Nehemie Felicite and Barbadian Selwyn Lett, respectively. The other Under-20 gold on the night went to Trinidad and Tobago’s Aaron Hassett, defeating Bahamian Damien Tinker.

Final points standings (overall) - 1. Bahamas 44; 2. T&T 32; 3. Barbados      21; 4. Martinique 10; 5. USVI  6;  6. Cayman Is. 3; 7. Grenada 2; 8. Bermuda  1.
Seniors: 1. Bahamas 21; 2. T&T 17; 3. Barbados 13; 4. Martinique 7; 5. Cayman Is.   3; 6. Grenada 2; 7. USVI 2.
Juniors: 1. Bahamas 23; 2. T&T 15; 3. Barbados 8; 4. USVI 4; 5. Martinique   3; 6. Bermuda 1.