The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorset@tribunemedia.net

IT was a difficult outing for several Bahamian boxers as they attempt the long road toward Olympic qualification.

A five-member boxing team recently competed in Trinidad and Tobago but just one Bahamian fighter emerged as a winner in the pre-Olympic showdown between the two countries.

Rashield Williams defeated Trinidad’s Akiel Outram by TKO in the light welterweight (64 kg) division.

Rudy Regis, boxing out of the 60 kilogram class or lightweight division, lost to Mike Alexander; Tyrone Oliver lost to Aaron Price in the 69kg (welterweight) division; and Keishno Major, over 91 kg (super heavyweight) lost to Nigel Paul who has already qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

The Amateur Boxing Association of the Bahamas was invited by the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Boxing Association to allow the boxers to compete in a bid to get them ready for the final qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in August.

The team was coached Valentino Knowles and Kayla Johnson.

“This is good for us and also good for Trinidad,” Seymour said. “Trinidad wants the Bahamas to compete against because they know that they can get some stiff competition.”

The showcase was meant to be another opportunity for the fighters after their Olympic qualification suffered a blow at March’s 2016 American Boxing Olympic Qualification Tournament in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

The team, competed in a field of 241 boxers from 35 countries, and again Williams was the only fighter to win a bout when he won by KO over Aaron Hassette of Trinidad and Tobago.

The next step will be the AIBA World Olympic Qualifier in Baku, Azerbaijan, June 7-19 for a chance to secure their berths at the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

To aide their fundraising efforts, the ABAB will hold a souse out at the National Boxing Gymnasium at the Baillou Hills Sporting Complex on May 21 to fund the boxers seeking qualification.

So far, it’s expected that Major, Williams, Carl Hield and possibly Godfrey Strachan will be travelling to the AIBA World Olympic Qualification event in Baku, Azerbaijan, June 14-26.