National Amateur Boxing Champs start tonight

Sixty boxers from nine gyms are expected to participate in the Senior Amateur Boxing Championships, sponsored by the Jamaica Boxing Board, which start tonight at 7 o'clock at the Stanley Couch Gym on Victoria Avenue in Kingston.

The preliminary weigh-in and medical examinations take place today at 8 a.m. at the same venue. The championships will end on Saturday night.

The participating gyms are G. C. Foster, Bruising, Stanley Couch, Dream Sports, Sugar Olympic, Oracabessa, St Thomas, Heavy Metal and Seaview. Competition will be in the Novice Class for boxers with less than five bouts and Open Class for boxers with five bouts and over. There will be male and female competitions

The Jamaica Defence Force, who are the defending champions, will not be participating this year because of emergency duties, and this leaves the field wide open. Competition is therefore expected to be much keener.

Some of the boxers who are expected to give good performances are Ricardo Carter from G. C. Foster, Alando Lewis from Heavy Metal, Sanjay Wiliams and Omar Campbell from Bruising Gym and Janathan Hanson, Dukey Rowe and Jermaine Richards from Stanley Couch. The weight classes in which the competitors will box will be determined at this morning's weigh-in.