Brazil top medal standing at Pan Am Games boxing

Brazil produced one of the biggest surprises in the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, when their boxing team of seven men and six women topped the medal table with 12.

Their female team won four gold, one silver and one bronze medal, while the men’s team won four silver and two bronze medals. The United States were next with six medals, two gold, two silver and two bronze while Cuba, who entered a female team in boxing competition for the first time, had two gold, one silver and one bronze.

Canada won two gold and four bronze medals, Colombia one gold, two silver and three bronze, Mexico one gold, one silver and one bronze medal, the Dominican Republic one gold and two bronze, Ecuador one silver and two bronze, Panama one silver and one bronze, Argentina and Venezuela two bronze medals each and Chile, Haiti and Puerto Rico one bronze each, to complete the medal tally.

Twenty-seven nations, represented by 179 boxers, took part in what was a very exciting and competitive tournament, and all the gold and silver medal winners have qualified for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024. Jamaica’s two representatives, Jaden Eccleston 80kg and Sanji Williams 63.5kg, were both defeated in the preliminary round. Eccleston lost on points to Cedrick Belony-Duliepre from Haiti who won a bronze medal, while Williams lost to Miguel Martinez from Mexico, who went on to win the silver medal in his weight class.

Eccleston started slowly and was always a step behind his Haitian opponent in the first round. He tried to get back into the contest in the second round, but his opponent was always able to score with more punches than he did. That was the pattern for the fight, and the Haitian won by unanimous decision. Williams started briskly and was holding his own when he was caught by a flurry of punches to the head and and body, and was given a protective eight count.

He scored with some good jabs and hooks on the resumption, but while trying to cope with his opponent’s southpaw style, he got caught by a left hook to the head, and this led to another standing eight count. He came back bravely, but after another flurry of punches with him on the receiving end, the referee stepped in and stopped the contest.

Martinez, who is a southpaw, is an excellent boxer, and reached the final, with a good mix of aggression and defence. He lost there, however, to Canada’s Wyatt Sanford in a very good fight. They both will fight in that weight class in the Olympic Games.

The quality of the boxing produced by the female boxers was excellent and has shown improvement over the years. The Brazilians were dominant and with their tally of four gold, one silver and one bronze medal, they were the only country to win a medal in every weight class.