LOCAL female light-heavyweight boxing champion Gwendolyn O誰eil seems to be living up to her promise of putting Guyana in the international limelight of the sport.
The woman, known as the Stealth Bomber, has secured a top spot in the 175-pound category of the Women痴 International Boxing Association (WIBA) January 2002 ratings.
According to the ratings, O誰eil is ranked at number two for the title currently held by Jacqui Frazier-Lyde, the daughter of former world heavyweight champion Joe Frazier. The number one ranked contender is Kathy Rivers.
Trinidadian Kim Quashie, over whom O誰eil has a victory, is ranked number five in the heavyweight division where Flor Maria Delgado is the champion.
Secretary of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC), Trevor Arno - in an invited comment - said O誰eil痴 achievement was good for the sport locally and could only improve it. He said the women痴 game has slowly but surely become more popular than the male version.
Arno explained that since the introduction of female boxing, more fans have been coming out to local bouts, and having O誰eil rated in the WIBA would bring out more.
He said the GBBC intends to capitalise on the popularity by getting more females involved while keeping the current crop active. He said this would broaden the talent base, not only in Guyana, but the Caribbean.
Three fights involving females took place on the GBBC痴 Boxing Day card with Guyanese O誰eil, Shaundell Alfred and Shondell Thomas taking on Trinidadian opponents.
According to Arno, Alfred and Thomas should both soon appear in the WIBA ratings. He explained that Caribbean Boxing Association (CBA) secretary Fitzroy Richards, who was part of the Trinidadian contingent for the Boxing Day card, had pledged the three Guyanese would soon be rated by the WIBA.
Richards, who holds responsibility for female boxers in the Caribbean, also promised to have a rematch of the Boxing Day encounter between Thomas and Ria Ramnarine - this time with the CBA flyweight title at stake. He is hopeful that a local promoter could facilitate it on one of his cards.
According to Arno, Richards also indicated that he would like to see a championship bout for the exciting Shaundell Alfred who recorded a 54-second knockout of Adana Francis in December.
Meanwhile, plans should soon be put in place for a rematch between O誰eil and Melissa Charles after their first fight ended in controversy.
Arno said, O誰eil痴 manager had requested a rematch after the Guyanese was disqualified for biting in the first round of their catchweight contest. The GBBC secretary said the onus is now on the promoters, with the fight most likely being held in Guyana because of the dormant state of boxing in the Twin-Island Republic.