The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE road to London 2012 hits the homestretch for the country's premier amateur boxers as they take the ring this week in the final Olympic qualification.

Carl Hield and Valentino Knowles, accompanied by national boxing coach Andre Seymour and assistant coach Stephen Larrimore, are scheduled to depart for Brazil today to compete in the final qualifier for the London Olympics. (July 27 to August 12)

Unlike in the past, where boxers were given multiple chances to qualify, the AIBA has decided to host a single qualifying tournament for each region.

The American region tournament is set for May 4-13 when 10 weight categories will offer a total of 38 quota places for the Games. There are five regions and the Bahamas falls under the AIBA American banner.

Knowles is ranked 27th in the world in the 64 kilo class while Hield is ranked 34th in the world in his weight class, the 69 kilo division.

Seymour said he's confident that both Knowles and Hield will perform very well. He also said that he's not looking at either of them turning pro right now. He said their focus is on the London Olympics.

Joined by fighters from 50 other countries from the Americas, Europe, Africa and Asia, both boxers recently travelled to Cardiff, Wales, in March.

"They just need to stay focused because with the new rules in amateur boxing, they have to be very busy. In boxing, you have to throw a lot of punches. You can't get left behind. We have to look at boxers from Brazil and Argentina," Seymour said.

Knowles admits that the final trials will be important because if he doesn't make it, he's not sure what direction his career in the ring will take from there.

"The training camp helped us to add to the tools that I need to use when we go to the final trials," Knowles said. He noted that at this point in the year, he's "not too far behind and not too far ahead" of where he needs to be.

"I feel I need to work on a lot more combinations going into the final round," he said. "I need to work on a lot more body strength and physical strength. With everything that I'm doing now, I'm trying to put that Olympic touch to it."

"I'm stepping up my training and trying to be physically and mentally ready. There's nothing much that you can do now that you haven't learnt so far. You just have to try and stay sharp with the tools that you have and hope that you can put it all together when the trials come up."

In the previous qualifying tournament at the AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, the two Bahamian boxers were ousted in the first round of competition.

Hield fell victim to Ireland's Roy Sheehan 15-10 in the men's welterweight division while Knowles lost to India's Manoj Kumar for the second consecutive time.

Kumar, who beat out Knowles for the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games last year in New Delhi, India, won the rematch over Knowles 17-11.

Knowles won a silver medal at the Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, a few months ago and is a heavy favourite to qualify.

Hield's best result was a bronze medal in the most recent Commonwealth Games.