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Post by Admin on Feb 23, 2020 18:17:46 GMT
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Post by Admin on Feb 29, 2020 19:26:45 GMT
Government rescues Olympic hopeful boxers with $25MBy Rawle Toney - February 27, 20200491 Share on Facebook Tweet on Twitter guyanachronicle.com/2020/02/27/government-rescues-olympic-hopeful-boxers-with-25mDirector of Sport Christopher Jones (L), presents the Government of Guyana’s $2.5M cheque to GBA president Steve Ninvalle, towards sending five boxers and officials to the Olympic Qualifiers in Argentina. (Adrian Narine photo) By Rawle Toney THE Government of Guyana, through the National Sports Commission (NSC), has come to the aid of the country’s top boxers, who are all aiming to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Yesterday, at a simple, yet significant presentation ceremony, Director of Sport Christopher Jones handed over a cheque valued $2.5M to president of the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) Steve Ninvalle. The donation will go towards sending Colin Lewis, Desmond Amsterdam, Keevin Allicock, Dennis Thomas and Canadian-based Taveena Kum to the March 26-April 3 Olympic Qualifying tournament in Argentina. On Tuesday GBA in a press release said that they were ‘on the ropes’ as it related to gathering the US$11 000 needed for the boxers’ accommodation, as well as the US$1800 per person towards getting them to Argentina, especially after they had missed the February 24 deadline given. Jones told reporters at his Homestretch Avenue Office, that initially, the NSC had told the GBA upon their previous request that based on the unavailability of a budget they were unable to assist the team’s trip to Argentina. The Government of Guyana had combined with the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) to send a team of four boxers and coach to Cuba for a three-month stint as part of the GBA’s plans to properly prepare them for the up-coming qualifying tournament. According to Jones, it would have been inhumane for the NSC, and by extension the Government, to not come to find a way to rescue the association. Jones pointed out that despite the circumstances surrounding acquiring funds, the NSC “had to do what is necessary to ensure that our boxers stay focussed and not have to worry about anything or be distracted about whether or not they would be unable to participate in the Olympic qualifiers. “The four boxers and coach who are in Cuba, we want them to be focussed … we are confident, based on the work we’ve seen the boxing association has been doing over the years, that our boxers will make it to the Olympics.” Ninvalle praised the Government for their late, but yet timely intervention, noting that he was certain, this time more than ever before, that Guyana will be represented in the field of boxing at the Olympic Games this year, and will also return with a medal. The GBA president said, unlike before, the boxers are better prepared, thanks to the collaborative effort between Government and the GOA. Terrence Poole MS, Sebert Blake and Francisco Roldan are the coaches travelling with the boxers to Argentina.
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Post by Admin on May 28, 2020 5:33:48 GMT
GBA gets ‘green light’ to bring boxers home
By Staff Reporter - May 26, 2020 FLASHBACK! GBA president Steve Ninvalle (centre) flanked by boxers (L-R) Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas, Keevin Allicock and Desmond Amsterdam, during a visit to their camp in Santa Clara. THE Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) stated on Monday, that they had gotten the ‘go ahead’ to bring Cuba-based Colin Lewis, Dennis Thomas, Desmond Amsterdam and Keevin Allicock back to Guyana. This information, according to Steve Ninvalle, president of the GBA, was given during an informal discussion with the Director of Sport Christopher Jones. To date GBA, according to a release, is yet to receive an official correspondence from Guyana’s COVID-19 Task Force, with regard to their two-week old request. “We are happy with the news that we’ve received; though it’s unofficial. We will expect what the Director of Sport tells us is something that we would have gotten from the horse’s mouth. Of course we would have loved to have an official response from the COVID-19 Task Force. Nevertheless, we have commenced work in bringing these young ambassadors back,” Ninvalle told Chronicle Sport yesterday. “This is now a national effort,” Ninvalle posited, adding that “these guys went out there not to represent themselves but actually to do good for Guyana. We at GBA) will leave no stones unturned until we get them back home.” Ninvalle highlighted that GBA had also written to the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) – the two bodies that formed an alliance to financially support the boxers’ trip to Cuba – to render assistance in returning the four boxers to Guyana. The amateur pugilists, Ninvalle related, are mentally-drained, given the fact that it has been 68 days since their originally scheduled return date was disrupted by the closure of the country’s borders and airports, for commercial travel, when the Government of Guyana took stringent measures to halt the spread of the coronavirus. Three of the four are breadwinners for their families, and Ninvalle reasoned that the unintentional and extended absence from their homes has had a negative economic impact for their respective families. The aforementioned boxers, along with Canada-based Taveena Kum, were in preparation mode to compete at the March 26 – April 4 Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) Americas Olympic Qualifier, but the GBA was left counting their losses in the millions, after the Argentina government had restricted international events in the country with immediate effect. Since their unforeseen extended stay on the Spanish-speaking island the boxers are in care of the Government of Guyana with assistance from the Guyana Consulate in Cuba.
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Post by Admin on Jul 9, 2020 7:03:17 GMT
TT’s Olympic boxing prospects raring to go
JONATHAN RAMNANANSINGH THURSDAY 2 JULY 2020 newsday.co.tt/2020/07/02/tts-olympic-boxing-prospects-raring-to-go/AFTER over three months of restricted indoor training due to the global pandemic, nine of TT’s potential Olympic qualifying boxers resume their full training regime in August. Olympic coach Reynold Cox is eager to proceed with preparations ahead of the rescheduled 2021 Summer Games. The next four weeks will be used to amplify each boxer’s strength and conditioning as they gear up for a long-awaited return to training. The national squad plans to utilise the coming months to fine-tune their skills ahead of the Caribbean Boxing Championships in December. This tourney will be used as a gauge heading into the two Olympic qualifier events, both of which have been tentatively set for early 2021. Originally, the first qualifier was scheduled to punch off in Argentina from March 26 to April 3. But due to the spread of coronavirus, this, among several other Tokyo qualifiers, was unavoidably postponed. “We’ve already restarted some limited training which will run throughout July. There won’t be much in-gym sessions but the athletes would be doing a lot of physical exercises. August will see the resumption of full training in preparation for the Olympic qualifiers. “Firstly, we want to defend our Caribbean titles in December, as this is our major focus. We then shift our attention to the Olympic qualifiers. Most of our Olympic team would be in preparation including the Commonwealth team for next year’s Youth Games in TT,” said Cox on Wednesday. TT’s Olympic hopefuls are Nigel Paul (91+kg), Cam Awesome (91kg US-based), Andrew Fermin (81kg), Aaron Prince (75kg), Tyrone Thomas (69kg), Michael Alexander (64kg), Anthony Joseph (56kg), Tianna Guy (56kg) and Jewel Lambert (48kg US-based). Foreign-based representatives Awesome and Lambert will not be able to resume face-to-face training with Cox unless the border restrictions are lifted. Both athletes are raring to go but must, for now, continue their regime alongside individual trainers in the US. Cox remains in close contact with each of the pair’s respective coaches to ensure the drills and sessions are being completed and managed efficiently. “We have to wait for the borders to reopen for ‘Cam’ and Jewel to return to TT to rejoin the camp. Other than that, I’ll continue to liaise with their coaches to make sure the work is being done. “The postponement of the Olympics has given us enough time to catch up with our preparation. I am more concerned about the time ahead than the time passed. The boxers remain grounded in TT, at least until the end of the year when and if the pandemic slows,” he added. Although affected by the covid19 downtime, Cox was still pleased to have a joint training camp with Cuban boxers and a regional competition (Spanish Invasion) before the pandemic struck. According to him, the team entered March 2020 ready for the then Olympic qualifiers, but was forced to wind down preparations due to the novel virus. Cox remains hopeful such developmental camps and competitions would fall in favour of the TT contingent come 2021. “We had to stop our training as we entered the covid19 period in March. It may have brought a little stumbling block for us. But if we can have another camp or bring in more boxers next year, that would serve as a good platform for us to see where we’re at and how we’ve been progressing,” he concluded.
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Post by Admin on Jul 9, 2020 7:06:29 GMT
5 local boxers in World rankings
T&T’s boxers Nigel Paul, from left, Tianna Guy and Michael Alexander were among five local boxers named on the International Boxing Association (AIBA) world rankings. www.guardian.co.tt/sports/5-local-boxers-in-world-rankings-6.2.1150223.e95f89f5caPan American bronze medallist Michael Alexander is among five T&T boxers on the International Boxing Association (AIBA) World rankings list. Yesterday, T&T Boxing Association (TTBA) vice president and national coach Reynold Cox expressed his delight on the achievements of the local boxers making the world rankings which took into account the last two World Championships for both men and women and the Continental Championships and Games, last year. "I feel elated," said Cox. "I think the team has worked very hard over the last few years to earn these ranking spots. We were Caribbean Champions in 2019 and these rankings are evidence of the strength of our team as a Caribbean nation." The 27-year-old Alexander, who won a silver at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games, holds the number 10 position with 400 points in the men's 64kg weight category according to the list posted by AIBA. The other local men's boxers featuring on the rankings are Tyron Thomas, who is ranked 33rd (100 points) in the 69 kg category, Aaron Prince is ranked 31st (100 points)s in the 75 kg and Olympian Nigel Paul ranks 35th (100 points) in the plus-91 kg. Lone women's boxer, Tianna Guy, is also ranked 31st with 150 points in the 57 kg category. "With Olympic qualifiers eight months away, it's a great morale booster for the boxers. Our focus is now is to become one of the top teams in the region next to the likes of Cuba and USA," said Cox, a former national boxer. "I would also like to say thanks to the coaches on the national team, trainers at the EDPU (Sports Company) and our technical team for making it a success. However, rankings do not win matches so we will have to keep working hard to qualify boxers to the next Olympic Games." Tagged in:
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Post by Admin on Aug 8, 2020 17:37:55 GMT
Guyanese fights tonight for WBA Super Middleweight title guyanachronicle.com/2020/08/08/allen-says-hes-too-sharp-for-morrell-jr/GUYANA’S Lennox ‘Too Sharp’ Allen will step into the ring tonight, at 20:00hrs at the Microsoft Theatre in Los Angeles, where he faces Cuban David Morrell Jr for the World Boxing Association (WBA) Super Middleweight Interim World title. Morrell was just six years old when Allen first turned pro in 2004 (a TKO win over Troy Lewis and the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall) and somehow both have managed to arrive at the title stage at the same time. While Allen gets his first bid at a major belt 16 years into his career, for Morrell (2-0, 2KOs), it comes less than one year as a pro and in just his third fight. “I feel like he skipped the line to the title,” Allen (22-0-1, 14KOs) told BoxingScene.com. “It is what it is. I know the politics of the sport; I have witnessed them firsthand throughout my career. This is a business, though, and I now have the opportunity to handle my business in the ring.” It’s been a long journey in every sense of the word for Allen, who relocated from his Georgetown, Guyana-homeland to Brooklyn, New York in 2009. The move came shortly after his 10th pro fight, with all but one ring appearance since then taking place in the United States. Also included along the way were lengthy gaps in activity, going all of 2014 without a fight and then experiencing a near three-year removal from the sport before returning in July 2018. Just two fights have come on his comeback, including a landslide 10-round win over Derrick Webster last February on ESPN+, where he won the WBA Super Middleweight Gold title. Another year passed by without a fight before getting the call from manager Steven Heid for an opportunity to challenge for his first major title. The fight was to have taken place on April 11 in Minneapolis, the adopted hometown of Morrell who defected from Cuba after amassing a 135-2 amateur record. The ongoing coronavirus pandemic shut down the PBC on Fox event, which is now shifted to tonight live in primetime from Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles. The bout will serve as the chief support to the original headlining act between Jamal James and Thomas Dulormoe for the WBA interim Welterweight title. For Morrell, it’s a four-month delay and nine months between fights in a career that hits its one-year anniversary later this month. As for Allen, it means going 18 months between fights in a career burdened by hard luck but where he’s always found a way to persevere. “I’ve waited a long time for this opportunity, so long that there were many points in my career where I felt like it would never happen,” admits Allen, while further noting that “It’s kind of amusing that I finally get to fight for the world title and it’s against a fighter who jumped ahead of a long line of fighters.” “But I’m the type; I always say that I have to look forward. I can’t worry about what happened or how someone else got here. This is my opportunity to prove to everyone where I belong in the Super Middleweight division, and to bring that world title home.”
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2020 2:19:34 GMT
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Post by Admin on Aug 14, 2020 2:20:42 GMT
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Post by Admin on Oct 19, 2020 23:59:32 GMT
Guyana to host next Caribbean Championship
– GBA Ninvalle Staff Reporter By Staff Reporter | October 17, 2020 guyanachronicle.com/wp-content/uploads/elementor/thumbs/Steve-ox2v11cv5semdpdk65o3ci2w07yzvpbaark5mpep66.jpgFLASHBACK: GBA president Steve Ninvalle hands over Best Boxer trophy to bantamweight Keevin Allicock at the conclusion of the 2018 Caribbean Championship. FLASHBACK: GBA president Steve Ninvalle hands over Best Boxer trophy to bantamweight Keevin Allicock at the conclusion of the 2018 Caribbean Championship. AS Guyana is slowly opening up to international traffic, Guyana Boxing Association has registered to host the next Caribbean Championship once it receives all COVID-19 related clearances. GBA president Steve Ninvalle yesterday disclosed that the hosting of the Caribbean Championship came up at a recent meeting of Caribbean presidents and Guyana accepted the offer to host. “There is no definite timeframe as yet since there is the overhanging threat of COVID-19; but there may be a likelihood of such a competition being hosted in the first quarter of 2021. Guyana has accepted that offer to host but the timing will depend on how restless Mr COVID-19 is,” Ninvalle told Chronicle Sport. Guyana staged the Championships in 2015 and 2018. On both occasions the Land of Many Waters came out on top. In 2018 Guyana picked up 10 gold, three silver and two bronze medals to snatch the championship title from nearest rivals Trinidad and Tobago. The locals had won the inaugural Caribbean Boxing Championship when Guyana hosted the tournament in 2015 and subsequently made a successful defence of that title in Barbados in 2016, but in 2017, due to financial constraints, could have sent only four boxers to the championship which was hosted by St Lucia. St Maarten was scheduled to host the 2020 Caribbean Championship but abandoned plans because of unforeseen circumstances. According to Ninvalle, Guyana’s experience in pulling off such tournaments, along with the quantity and quality of the boxers, played a part in the country offering to host. “It’s more of a benefit for us if we stage. All of our boxers get a chance to participate also our officials. We lost the Champion Country Title in 2017 because we were only able to send a team of four boxers to St Lucia. The very next year the crown was back home when we hosted,” Ninvalle stated. GBA has only held one competition for the year (February 15) and Ninvalle ruled out any chance of another during 2020. “I don’t see any such activity being held for the remainder of the year. We can be consoled by the fact that almost every other country in the region is facing the same issue at the same time.” However, Ninvalle a vice-president of the Americas Boxing Confederation (AMBC) said that he will be pushing on for more virtual seminars for the local and regional fraternity
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2021 3:55:59 GMT
NEWS TT national junior boxer, 13, homeless
STACY MOORE TUESDAY 3 NOVEMBER 2020 Shirley Wolfe Photo by Lincoln Holder newsday.co.tt/2020/11/03/tt-national-junior-boxer-13-homeless/TT national junior boxer Shirley Wolfe and her family are now homeless. Wolfe, 13, brought home silver for TT in August 2019 from the Caribbean School Girls and Boys Junior Boxing Tournament in Guyana. She has lived with her parents and siblings, two-year-old Austin and four-year-old Diamond, on state land along the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay for the last ten years. Shirley Wolfe and her father Christopher Wolfe. But on October 28, her father, Christopher Wolfe, received notice from the Commissioner of State Lands that the family must vacate the land immediately, because they have been occupying it illegally. Wolfe now fears his family will soon end up living on the streets. He is asking the Housing Development Corporation for a house for his family so his daughter can have a future in boxing. “We are very poor; this is no secret. I know we have been living on state land, but I have been trying to do better, I really have been. I have been doing odd jobs around to help provide for my family. "But I have been struggling to make ends meet to provide for my family and support my daughter, who is passionate about boxing. She is an exceptional boxer and deserves a chance.” He said Shirley has been training for the last four years and is now one of the best boxers in TT. Wolfe said he did not have anywhere else to go, so he built a wood and galvanise structure ten years ago on an empty piece of state land. “Now that we have been given the notice to leave immediately. I have nowhere to go. I am begging the HDC to help me find a shelter so my daughter can have a chance to succeed.” “Many people don't even know how we live. But Shirley has been training here in our little galvanised shack and then going to compete in big boxing competitions and winning. "I know we have to leave, but I just don't want to end up on the streets. "All I am asking for is a shelter for my family and for my daughter to get a chance to continue representing TT, which she has been doing.” In November 2019 Shirley competed in the TT Boxing Association National Championship at the Jean Pierre Complex, Mucurapo, and won. She has also competed in other boxing competitions and tournaments and won other medals. Wolfe said he also sought help from the MP for the area. But his efforts have been futile. "I keep getting the runaround. It seems like they cannot do anything to help us. I don't know how long again we have before they come and break down our house." President of the TT Boxing Association Cecil Forde described Shirley as a talented boxer who has a bright future. He said the teen is passionate and has a natural talent for boxing. While the law must be respected, he said, it is also heartbreaking to see what one of his boxers is enduring. Forde said Shirley lives in an impoverished community and urgently needs shelter and all the assistance she can get. The association has tried to help the family but there is only so much it can do, he said, and he hopes those in authority will assist. Anyone wishing to help can contact Forde at 736-4715.
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2021 4:02:11 GMT
Father of homeless national junior boxer, 13, denies critics’ claims
News Stacy Moore www.google.com/search?q=shirley+wolfe+boxer&oq=shirley+wolfe+boxer&aqs=chrome..69i57.3461j1j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8Christopher Wolfe stands with Shirley outside the shack on land owned by the State in Claxton Bay. - Lincoln HolderDENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY! ALL RIGHTS OF THIS PICTURE RESERVED TO HTTP://NEWSDAY.CO.TT/TO REMOVE THIS PHOTO WRITE US ABUSE@THEWORLDNEWS.NET Christopher Wolfe stands with Shirley outside the shack on land owned by the State in Claxton Bay. - Lincoln Holder The father of 13-year-old national junior boxer Shirley Wolfe is denying allegations made by some people on social media that he is the owner of a concrete house in Claxton Bay. On Wednesday, Newsday published a story in which Christopher Wolfe made a plea on behalf of himself, his wife Angel Matthew, Shirley, and her two siblings two-year-old Austin and four-year-old Diamond who have been living in a run-down shack on state land along the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay for the past ten years. Shirley’s mother and father are separated, but she sees her mother monthly when she visits. After the story appeared online, some people claimed the family was living elsewhere. DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY! ALL RIGHTS OF THIS PICTURE RESERVED TO HTTP://NEWSDAY.CO.TT/TO REMOVE THIS PHOTO WRITE US ABUSE@THEWORLDNEWS.NET The concrete house at Sookoo Trace, Claxton Bay where online readers claimed the family lives. Christopher Wolfe says it is his sister's house where Shirley goes to for online classes. - Lincoln Holder Wolfe told Newsday on Wednesday, the claims are coming from people in the community with whom he had a dispute. He said they are trying to stir up mischief to prevent his family from getting help. The house at Sookoo Trace they are referring to, he said, is actually his sister’s where Shirley goes to on mornings to use the internet for online classes. She then returns home on afternoons. "I am an honest man. These are just a group of people who are seeking revenge. I do not speak to them anymore, so it seems they are out to try to stir up trouble in this most difficult time for my family – especially my daughter who representing TT." The family was given notice by the Commissioner of State Lands on October 28 to vacate the land which they have been occupying illegally. Wolfe said people have also been bringing up his past run-ins with the law. "This is not about me, it is about Shirley. She deserves a chance in life and my past has nothing to do with Shirley. She is one of the best boxers representing the country and she wants to continue making TT proud of her. But if she is on the streets she has no future." Wolfe said he was charged in 2004 with kidnapping, robbery, resisting arrest and using obscene language. He served jail time the robbery that year. The charge of kidnapping was dismissed. “I wish I could go back and change those crimes I committed. I wish I could, but I paid for my crimes and my daughter should not be paying for them now. “I always tell her about my past to keep her on the right path. When I look at Shirley and see the young girl she has grown into, I am a proud father. She is so passionate about boxing." The family received numerous offers of help after the story was published. DENIAL OF RESPONSIBILITY! ALL RIGHTS OF THIS PICTURE RESERVED TO HTTP://NEWSDAY.CO.TT/TO REMOVE THIS PHOTO WRITE US ABUSE@THEWORLDNEWS.NET Shirley Wolfe sits on a mattress with her father at their humble home along the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay on Wednesday. - Lincoln Holder The Housing Development Corporation (HDC) contacted them and is expected to visit sometime this week. The Social Welfare Department has also arranged to give them a food card. Wolfe said he is overjoyed by the outpouring of help and love from everyone. “I went to bed feeling down, not knowing what to do next. I woke up this morning and, when I got the call from HDC and the Social Welfare, I could not believe it. I said a prayer. My daughter can finally have a bright future. "I am so thankful and grateful. I want to thank everyone who has been calling and offering words of encouragement to Shirley." Wolfe said he has been cleaning houses to make ends meet and to buy boxing gear for Shirley. His sister, who asked that she not be named, told Newsday the house at Sookoo Trace is indeed hers, and her brother and his family do not live there. Wolfe won a silver medal for TT in August 2019 from the Caribbean School Girls and Boys Junior Boxing Tournament in Guyana
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2021 4:05:57 GMT
THIRTEEN-year-old national junior boxer Shirley Wolfe and her family are one step closer to having a proper home.
Last week a team of field officers from the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) visited the family at their one-room galvanized shack along the Southern Main Road in Claxton Bay, to do an where an assessment. Shirley's father, Christopher Wolfe said the officials at HDC took photocopies of all the necessary documents for himself and his family members. “Now we just have to wait," he said. "I really think our prayer has been answered and my daughter can finally get a chance to excel at boxing and continue representing the country. We are so happy and thankful to the authorities of HDC who intervened to help us. "Shirley wants everyone to know that she is going to continue making her country proud.” Last week Newsday published a story in which Wolfe made a plea on behalf of himself, his wife Angel Matthew, Shirley, and her two siblings, two-year-old Austin and four-year-old Diamond. They have been living in the run-down shack on state land for ten years. Shirley’s mother and father are separated, and she sees her mother monthly. On October 28 the family received an eviction notice from the Commissioner of State Lands saying they must vacate the land immediately because they have been occupying it illegally. Wolfe said he did not have anywhere else to go, so he built a wood and galvanize structure ten years ago on an empty piece of state land. He was afraid his family would now end up living on the streets. He said Shirley has been training for the last four years and is now one of the best junior boxers in TT. In November 2019 she won the TT Boxing Association National Championship. Shirley also won a silver medal for TT in August 2019 from the Caribbean School Girls and Boys Junior Boxing Tournament in Guyana. She has also won other boxing competitions and tournaments. President of the TT Boxing Association Cecil Forde described Shirley as a talented and passionate boxer with a bright future. The Social Welfare Department of the Ministry of Family and Social Services has arranged to give the family a food card. Private citizens have visited the family and given them food hampers. Wolfe said, "We are so grateful and extremely thankful for all the love and help from everyone. To even the people who called and spoke to Shirley and offered her words of encouragement to keep on going and following her boxing dreams."
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