2014 Intermediate Boxing Championship... Republican Boxing Gym takes top spot; Clifton Graham is Best Boxer

2014 Intermediate Boxing Championship… Republican Boxing Gym takes top spot; Clifton Graham is Best Boxer

Sep 02, 2014 Sports

The ecstatic Republican Boxing team pose for a well deserved photo op with Carl Graham, Steve Ninvalle (extreme right) and Wensel Thomas (extreme left) .

By Michael Benjamin

The experts advocate that perseverance is the key to success and the boxers of the Republican Boxing Gym (REP) endorsed this belief when they blasted away their counterparts from the Guyana Defense Force (GDF) to accrue the most points and cart off championship honours
while the GDF clinched the second prize when the curtains came down on the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) 2014 Intermediate Boxing Championship at the M&CC Municipal Centre, California Square, East Ruimveldt, Sunday evening last.
Republican, Clifton Graham earned a unanimous verdict over Jason Phillips in the 69 kgs category after an exhibition of power punching and was eventually adjudged Best Boxer of the tournament. The two gladiators turned in an exhibition of power punching and the organizers were required to control the crowd who screamed in delight right throughout the action packed encounter.
Watched by Deputy Director of the Guyana Prison Service, Carl Graham and the Officer in Charge of the Camp Street Penitentiary, Gladwin Samuels, the Republican boxers resumed from where they had left off one night earlier to win seven of their eight encounters.
So dominant was their first night performance that several of their bouts were matched against their gym mates on the final night. The Republicans started on a losing note after Ravindra Bissoondia lost to GDF boxer Victor Low by a TKO 1:54secs of the second round of their 49kgsOpen encounter.
The Army pugilist pursued his man and connected with several wicked clouts and after one of them connected to Bissoondia’s temple, he crashed to the canvass and clutched his tummy.
His face remained contorted in pain as the referee tolled away the count and eventually waved the bout off. Christopher DaSilva (REP) made amends when he earned a unanimous verdict over Rupert Gillis (GDF) in their 60kgs bout.
These two behaved as though they had an old grudge to settle and stood toe to toe for the duration of the bout, locked in vicious exchanges.
The action was exciting and sent the crowd into screaming ecstasy, at times encroaching the ring and forcing officials to call temporary halts until order was restored.
The fans all agreed that they had received their money’s worth at the end of the slugfest.In the sole female encounter, the 54kgs scrap between Taseka Howard (FYF) and Tandi Benjamin (RHJ), the former boxer stamped her authority with several right crosses that pushed her opponent on the back foot before a wicked straight right connected to Benjamin’s temple and forced the referee to institute a mandatory 8 count.
By then, Benjamin has decided that she had had enough and decided to quit at 1:23secs of the first stanza. Delon Gordon (REP) maintained the tradition for his club with a decisive points decision over GDF pugilist, Mark Hyndman in the 81kgs Class while Colin Martin was gifted a walk over from another Republican, Tyron Hamid.
There were several bouts where the Republican boxers battled each other and Anandram Dharamraj out-boxed Klaus Daniels to take the honours in their 64kgs bout. Stephen Andrews (REP) then won on points from Delon Naitiram (REP) in their 56kgs encounter. In the 75kgs Class, Glenroy Smith (EBG) won on points over Wayne Murray (GDF).
In the Junior category, Orwayne Harris (FYF) defeated Shaquancy Wright (EBG) to take the 65-69lbs title shortly before Seon Griffith (FYF) punched his way to a unanimous verdict over Jamal Eastman (RHJ) in the 52kgs division.
Joel Williamson then defeated his gym mate from Rosehall Jammers (RHJ), Colin Hinds in the 60kgs class before RHJ lost another bout in the 52kgs division when Seon Griffith out-pointed Jamal Eastman.
The night’s proceedings was graced by several boxing stalwarts including former Commonwealth Champion, Kenny Bristol, former double World Champion, Gary St. Clair, Woman’s World champion, Shondelle Alfred and former local boxing Champion, Vincent Howard. These stalwarts assisted in presentation of prizes.
The tournament was sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, National Sports Commission, GT&T, Hand in Hand Insurance and Courts.