Virgin Islands boxer off to Olympics

Of the 23 boxers that qualified for the Olympic Games in Beijing, China, this year, only one is from the English-speaking Caribbean.

John Jackson, son of famous Virgin Islands boxer, Julian "The Hawk" Jackson, qualified after defeating Brazilian Pedro Lima in the semifinals of the first Americas qualifier tournament which was held in Trinidad and Tobago from March 10 to 18.

Jackson defeated Lima 19-10 in the middleweight category.

Despite hopes that the staging of the qualifiers in the region would yield more Olympic-bound boxers from this region, the Latin Americans dominated, especially the Cubans, who are the powerhouses in the Americas when it comes to boxing.
Caribbean boxers will still have a chance to qualify at the second qualifier to be held in Guatemala from April 23 to 30. Twenty-three boxers will also be selected there.

From all reports, the staging of the event was a success with over 160 boxers from over 25 countries participating. Congrats goes out to the Trinidad and Tobago Amateur Boxing Association and the Trinidad and Tobago government, which gave just over four million dollars for this historic event.

To see Jackson in action,Click here