ON the historic world title boxing card at the National Park, Saturday night, World Boxing Council (WBC) champion Wayne “Big Truck” Braithwaite at last received his national sports awards.
Braithwaite was declared Sportsman-of-the-Year for 2002 after he gave Guyana the coutnry’s second world title by stopping Italian Vincenzo Cantetore in Italy on October 11 that year. However, the new champion was not in the country when the awards were presented early 2003.
In fact, when he visited the motherland the November after he won the title, he was then presented with the Runner-up Sportsman-of-the-Year for 2001.
The world champion was again voted the country’s top sportsman for 2003, having successfully defended his title twice during the year, firstly against Ravea Springs in Miami that February and in Atlantic City that December. He became the first Guyanese to successfully defend his title twice.
Again Braithwaite was not in the country when the awards were presented earlier this year.
Braithwaite was presented with the 2002 trophy by Executive Director of the Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) Ryan Wissow and the 2003 trophy by President of the Guyana Boxing Board of Control (GBBC) KD Persaud.
Guyana’s two reigning world champions, Braithwaite and World Boxing Association (WBA) Junior Welterweight “Vicious” Vivian Harris, were specially invited to witness the first world title fight staged on local. Harris returned to the United States Tuesday.