Published On:Saturday, March 20, 2010

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

WITH the silver medal draped around his neck, Valentino Knowles said it's a moment he will "cherish" for a long time as he returned home from the XXX Energy Drinks Commonwealth Championships.

"The fight went great. It went in favour of the other guy, but I put out my best. I did what I had to do," said Knowles after falling short in a 6-2 decision to India's Jai Bhagwan.

"I felt that I won the fight. The fans also felt that I did. But it didn't turn out that way. They gave it to him, so I have to live with the decision."

That is until October when the actual Commonwealth Games will take place in India again. When he goes back, Knowles hopes to return home with the gold.

"That will give me more time to focus on what I have to do to get back at him," said Knowles, who suffered his second straight loss to Bhagwan, dating back to the World Championships in 2007.

It was the second medal for the Bahamas at the championships after pacesetter Taureano 'Reno' Johnson clinched a silver in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2003.

Knowles, however, was one of two competitors that represented the Bahamas at the championships that concluded on Wednesday. Carl Hield, the other member, lost 8-2 to Black Moses Mathenge of Kenya in the first round.

"It was a high class competition," said Knowles, who intends to take the rest of the week off to recuperate before he get back into training on Monday.

Having secured a medal, Knowles took the time out to thank God, his parents Valderine and McAllen Knowles, both the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture and the Amateur Boxing Federation as well as the coaches for the role they all played in his success.

"It wasn't easy. It was a hard road, but now I'm here," said Knowles, who presented Minister Charles Maynard with a replica of the medal from India.

Coach Andre Seymour said it was a long journey to India and they wanted to make sure that they didn't come back home empty handed.

"Everybody has their time. It's Valentino today. I can guarantee you that next time it would be Carl as well," Seymour said. "But our journey has just begun.

"This is our first major tournament for the year and in going to the tournament and winning a medal, it just shows how strong our programme is."

As they move ahead, Seymour said the boxers will now have to get ready for the Central American and Caribbean Games in July and the Commonwealth Games in October.

"Believe me, we are looking forward to hearing our national anthem being played and our flag hoisted on the first pole, which means we have to win the gold medal," Seymour said.

"We will not stop here. Winning the gold at the CAC, the Commonwealth Games and also at the World Championships next year and then head on to 2012 and winning that medal at the Olympics."

As long as the federation keep the boxers on the international circuit and competing against the best in the world, Seymour said the Bahamas will definitely win the elusive Olympic medal.

Although he didn't get out of the first round, Hield said it was more of a learning experience for him.

"For the past year and a half, I was getting some bad draws and coming out of the fights on the losing end," he said. "But we still got a medal. One out of two is good.

"After I lost, I supported him (Knowles), making sure he kept his weight down and made sure he fought hard because it didn't make no sense for the two of us to go all the way over there and don't come back with a medal."

Hield said he felt that he won the silver medal too, but he will just continue to prepare for the future tournaments so that he can get the major international medal that has escaped him so far.

In the meantime, it was a festive mood for the Knowles' family.

Valentino's mother, Valderine said her son performed exceptionally well.

"I expected the gold, but he got the silver, so I appreciate what he did," she said. "I know that he did his best."

And his father, McAllen said when he spoke to his son, Valentino told him that the fight was very close, so "I was proud that he got the silver."

The Knowles said they intended to celebrate, but they would be encouraging Valentino to get right back in training so that he could duplicate a medal feat in his next international tournament.