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GUYANA CHRONICLE Tuesday September 8, 2015
‘Stealth Bomber’ is number one in the world again
THE latest updated ranking for women’s heavyweight boxers in the world shows Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil as the current number one-ranked fighter in the world. The `queen’ of boxing sits atop the rankings after defeating former No.1 fighter Sonya `The Scholar’ Lamonakis on July 4 this year, to win the Universal Boxing Federation (UBF) World female heavyweight title in St Maarten. The loss for Greece’s Lamonakis puts her now in the No.4 spot on the world list. O’Neil is expected to return shortly to join in the month-long celebration of Amerindian Heritage Month. The Amerindian Heritage Month is celebrated in September of every year and is in recognition of Guyana’s indigenous people who are the natural caretakers of the rainforests which cover almost two-thirds of Guyana. O’Neil is of mixed race, and hails from Mabaruma,
Gwendolyn ‘Stealth Bomber’ O’Neil an Amerindian village situated in Region 1 (North West). Gwendolyn, who started professional boxing in July of 1999, was the first female Guyanese boxer to ever win a world boxing
title. The memorable, historic bout took place at the National Park here in Guyana in May of 2004 against Kathy Rivers for the WIBA World light heavyweight title. O’Neil easily defeated Rivers by unanimous decision in front of a jubilant, crowd at a packed National Park. O’Neil was also the first Guyana female to fight for a world title in Guyana; the first to win a world title in Guyana; the first of indigenous heritage (Amerindian) to win a world title; the first Caribbean woman to win a world title and the first to win more than one world title (five-time champion). Her remarkable career has given her many victories but she ranks her most recent World heavyweight title win as one of her most gratifying wins. “So many people counted me out but I knew that God would show them what I was made of,” said the happy O’Neil after the fight.
I didn’t wilfully handle the ball against Australia - Stokes (REUTERS) - England all-rounder Ben Stokes has said he did not wilfully handle the ball that led to his controversial dismissal for ‘obstructing the field’ in the second one-dayer against Australia on Saturday. The 24-year-old became just the second England batsman after Len Hutton in 1951 to be given out for obstructing the field after paceman Mitchell Starc’s shy at the stumps hit his left glove while he was out of his crease at Lord’s. TV umpire Joel Wilson’s decision seemed harsh as Stokes appeared to be acting more in self-defence than trying to prevent being run-out. “I didn’t put my hand there willfully; it was purely out of human reaction to protect myself. But the decision was made, there’s nothing I can do but it wasn’t wilful whatsoever,” Stokes was quoted as saying by the British media. “It’s one of those decisions where you can’t look back and have any regrets because it’s been made. You can’t change what’s happened. It’s just a shame it came to the uproar it
Ben Stokes has,” added Stokes, who is the first from England and sixth player overall to be dismissed for obstructing the field in a one-day international. England were 141 for three and chasing 310. They ended up losing by 64 runs as Australia went 2-0 ahead in the five-match series. England captain Eoin Morgan protested against the dismissal, leading to a heated exchange with his Australia counterpart, Steve Smith.
Stokes hoped no ill feeling would be carried over into the next match at Old Trafford today. “I hope (the incident) doesn’t get turned into bad blood just out of that one little situation. “But who knows, once I step over that line things might change. I hope it doesn’t get blown out of proportion and take away from the cricket side of things,” he said.
Even after an almost four-year layoff from professional boxing and losing 30 pounds while training for the World title bout, she still knew that she had the passion and skill to fight at the highest world class level. “I’m a champion and you can never count out a true champion because that warrior spirit never says die,” said O’Neil. The late Nelson Mandela who was also a boxer met O’Neil in South Africa when she fought Muhammad ‘The Greatest’ Ali’s daughter Laila Ali in 2007. The fighting spirit in Man-
dela and the compassion for his people did not allow the twenty-seven years spent in prison to break him either. The Guyanese `warrior’ encourages all of the younger generation to pick up whatever they love doing and pursue their dreams with passion and never let anyone tell them what they cannot do. Boxing has yet to respect and pay the female fighters the same way that their male counterparts are treated but that has not stopped the tireless champion from pushing on for sixteen years. O’Neil’s No.1 World
Ranking once again in the heavyweight division basically guarantees her a spot in the `Hall of Fame’ for female boxers. At forty-five years old she seems to be still improving and we sincerely hope that the treatment given to female boxers and women in general can also improve even at this late stage because it’s never too late to make that positive change. Who will champion the cause of women, the nurturers of all life in this world, the matriarchs, the real number ones and the real everyday champions?
Uncertain opening pair for new captain Smith in Bangladesh
MELBOURNE, Australia (Reuters) - Australia face fielding their most inexperienced opening pair in decades in Bangladesh, with David Warner all but ruling himself out of the tour. Vice-captain Warner suffered a broken thumb when struck by a Steven Finn delivery in the second one-day international against England and does not expect to pick up a bat for six weeks. Australia, who already lost opener Chris Rogers to retirement after the Ashes, meet Bangladesh in the first Test in Chittagong starting October 9 followed by the second in Mirpur from October 17. Wa r n e r p r e v i o u s l y broke the same thumb in 2013 and recovered in a few weeks to be able to tour India but said his latest injury was more serious. “I knew pretty much straightaway when I got hit that it was the same one and it was quite painful,” Warner told reporters before flying home to Australia. “Look I know from last time when it was actually just a minor fracture, it was a minimum of three weeks before I could pick up a bat ... I never do want to miss a Test match but it’s probably highly unlikely I’m going to make Bangladesh. “I’m gutted. I’m not
Cameron Bancroft Joe Burns, who played happy about that but I’ll get a bit of a break now and two Tests against India in have got six to eight weeks the home summer, is conoff before we have to come sidered a frontrunner for back and assemble for the one of the opening slots, first-class game in Adelaide with Cameron Bancroft so it’s now time to get back and Usman Khawaja also as soon as possible and then rated contenders after postI can work on my fitness for ing big scores on Australia longevity for the next few A’s tour of India. With wicketkeeper years.” Rogers joined former and former vice- captain captain Michael Clarke in Brad Haddin also unlikeretirement after the Ashes, ly to return to the side at with pace bowler Ryan the age of 37, the Test side Harris quitting the game faces a dearth of leaderafter suffering a knee in- ship as they rebuild after jury in the lead-up to the the 3-2 Ashes loss. Selectors may prefer series. With all-rounder Shane the more experienced Watson announcing his de- Khawaja, who led Auscision to quit Test cricket on tralia A in India and Sunday, captain Smith will is captain of Sheffield need to carry a team depleted Shield side Queensland, of experience in his first full over uncapped 22-yearold Bancroft. series in charge.