The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

IN a dominating performance, England captured all seven boxing finals they competed in yesterday at the sixth Commonwealth Youth Games at the Kendal Isaacs Gymnasium.

As the competition came to a close, England secured five men and two women titles in the 11 bouts contested. The other four were shared by India and Scotland.

England's head coach Michael Driscoll said it was all about their preparation for the games.

"We had an eight-week training camp. We spent some time in the British Army conditioning and we spent six days in Maimi prior to coming to the Bahamas and we got some excellent sparring from the Americans and the Cubans," Driscoll said.

"We started the tournament a little slow. I think underperformed at the beginning, but I think we were just peaking and we peaked at the right time. We had six boxers in the semi-final yesterday (Saturday) and seven in the final, so we peaked at the right time."

Driscoll credited a fantastic coaching staff that he had to work with and no real superstars in the ring for their tremendous success. He said the games were like a dream come true for many of their competitors, who rarely got to travel anywhere before.

But despite all of that, Driscoll said their goal was all the same to win the gold and they accomplished that feat.

England's gold rush was led by James Eithan, the unanimous winner of the men's flyweight or 52 kilogram over Keevin Allicock from Guyana. They closed out the competition with Georgia Ann O'Conner winning the women's middleweight over Naomi Pelletier from Canada after the referee stopped the contest in the second round.

In the other bouts, Shiloh Reuben Defreitas won an unanimous decision over Joshua John William Fritpatrick from Australia in the bantam (56kg), Charles Clem Frankham won over Jake Leroy Clague from Australia in the men's lightweight (60kg), Mark Dickinson def. Anthony Johnston from Northern Ireland in the men's welterweight (69kg) and Aaron Patrick Bowen was a split decision winner over Kane Tucker from Northern Ireland in the men's middleweight (75kg).

Also, Chloe Louise Watson took the women's flyweight (48-51kg) over Shylah Te Uranga Waikai from New Zealand.

In the other matches contested, India's Sachin won a split decision over James Nathan Probert from Wales in the men's light flyweight (46-49kg), Scotland's Tyler Jai Jolly won the men's light welterweight (64kg) title over Jacob Lovell of Wales, Wales' Sammy Alex Lee won the men's light heavyweight (81kg) over Scotland's Lewis Beggs and Ella Jada Boot of Australia over Jony in the women's lightweight (57-60kg).

Lennox Boyce was the lone Bahamian competing in boxing.

He didn't get out of the first round of the men's light welterweight (54kg), losing to the taller Brian Galelemogwe from Botswana in a split decision.