The territory’s amateur boxers cleaned up last week at the annual Caribbean Developmental Boxing Championships, which officials said was the first time the group had competed internationally.
The tournament was held over five days in Barbados and fielded boxers from 12 different Caribbean countries. By the end of the week, the USVI team had picked up three gold medals and two silver, thanks to a series of knockouts in the ring.
According to officials, V.I. boxer Micael del Rosaria won his light-welterweight match against Martinique’s Victor Berthelo with a third round TKO, while teammate Moises Arrendondo (flyweight) won his match against opponent Rashad Holder from Barbados. Both earned gold medals during the tournament, along with local fighter Eduan Molina, who won his heavyweight match against Barbados’s Sherwad Dear with a first round TKO.
Despite his loss last week to Deruan Duval-Hune of Barbados, USVI boxer Abdul Smith was also able to pick up a silver medal.
Teammate Deion Pruitt also earned silver with a win (a first round TKO against Barbados’s Darian Smith) and a loss in the finals against Shakuan Lashly.
Elite local boxer Cindy Claudio, the only female on the USVI team, added one more silver to the stack last week, despite a loss against Barbados’s Kimberly Gittens.
The territory’s Julian Jackson Jr. and Otoniel Ortiz refereed or judged several of the tournament matches after completing their International Boxing Association 1-Star Coaching course.
