GREGORY TRUJILLO

Boxing enthusiasts will get a chance to see some of the best amateurs from the United States in action at the Pan American Female Boxing Championships, which punches off on Friday at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre.

Originally, the Americans indicated they were not sending a team to the championships hosted by the T&T Amateur Boxing Association but it was revealed yesterday that 11 fighters from the “Big Apple” will be among the first to arrive today.

The US fighters coming are Marlen Esparza, Cheryllyn Houlihan, Sacred Ann Downing, Cynthia Moreno, Jody Ann Weller, Caroline Barry, Quanitta Lee Underwood, Franchon Rebecca, Monich Crews, Meredith Anne Della Giustina and Tiffanie Nichole Hearn.

Also flying in today will be the four boxers representing Canada and six from St Lucia.

All the other teams will be coming in tomorrow - Aruba (one), Brazil (11), Dominican Republic (six), Ecuador (five), Guatemala (one), Guadeloupe (one), Guyana (four) and Puerto Rico (two).

All the boxers and officials will be accommodated at the Crews Inn Hotel in Chaguaramas.

Eight fighters will make up the T&T team. They are Chimere Taylor (middleweight), Elizabeth Burke (light middleweight), Latoya Providence (bantamweight), Stephanie Allen (flyweight), Wendy Allen (welterweight), Leeann Boodram (lightweight) and Jamila Jones (featherweight).

Cuban Vincente Martinez, along with Anthony Waterman and Vicki Boodram, are the local coaches with Evon Joefield the manager.

Opening ceremony will take place tomorrow at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre, from 6 pm.

Preliminaries in all the weight divisions will begin on Friday, also from 6 pm. The weigh-in will be held earlier between 6 and 9 am.