Boxing Canada – Montreal – April 10th, 2018. Midway through the 2018 Commonwealth Game, six of the seven Canadian boxers have made their debut in the competition and it seems like no opponents can stay in the way of Team Canada’s medals pursuit.

Indeed, the Canadian delegation remains undefeated after eight convincing bouts and has already secured a total of five medals so far. With two more semifinals tomorrow, the entire Canadian contingent could very well be standing on the podium.

“Even though I am in the medal rounds, there’s only one medal I’m after and that’s gold!” said Thomas Blumenfeld after exiting the ring.

With three Canadians on the card for Day 7 of the competition (April 11th), the team is looking to advance two more boxers to the medals’ round. Caroline Veyre will make her debut in the competition against Nigeria while Harley-David O’Reilly will be back in the ring for a second time, both in the hopes to join the rest of the team on the podium.

As for Marie-Jeanne Parent, she will be back in action against England for the semifinals. A victory would allow her to fight for gold during her first international competition.

All information relating to the competition, such as draw sheets, schedule and results, will be updated throughout the championships on our Event Webpage and social media. You will also find a recap of the Canadians’ performances over day 5 and 6 of the Games in the Annex attached.

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ANNEX

Please find below a recap of the Canadians’ performances over day 5 and 6 of the Games:

75 Kg Tammara Thibault VS Essiane Chlotine (Cameroon)

Tammara’s win over Cameroonian Essiane Chlotilde was one of the more competitive bouts of the Games thus far and it seems like the Canadian boxer wants to continue her winning strike since claiming gold at the 2017 Continental Championships.

With a 3-2 split decision from the judges, Tammara Thibeault successfully advances to the semifinals against Lauren Price from Wales on April 13th. Keep an eye on her as she might reach the top of the podium once again!

81 Kg Harley-David O’Reilly VS Louis Cedric Olivier (Mauritius)

In what was a very dominant bout, O’Reilly showed us his prowess. The 2016 Gants Dorés champion won all three rounds with a unanimous decision from the judges. He certainly made Canada proud and promises to go all the way.

With his dominance over Olivier, O’Reilly now moves on to the quarterfinals on April 11th and will be facing Yombo from Cameroon in an attempt to secure a medal in the following round.

57 Kg Sabrina Aubin-Boucher VS Vicki Glover (Scotland)

Another Canadian athlete moves on to the semifinals! Sabrina secured a medal by winning a competitive quarterfinals bout against Scottish opponent, Vicki Glover. The 33-year-old had a tough second round and she knew she had to get more aggressive in the final round. Sabrina showed heart in the last few moments of the third round and received a 3-2 score from the judges.

“I fought with my heart in the end, it wasn’t technical. I did everything I needed to do to win this fight,” said Sabrina Aubin after an intense opening bout. “Now I have two days before semifinals, so I will keep my focus and recover as much as possible.”

On April 13th, Sabrina will be facing Skye Nicolson in the semifinals. Sabrina will have to show true skill and heart to overcome the Australian native. Not only does Skye have the home advantage and the crowd behind her, but she is also Sabrina’s toughest challenger to date and her last opponent before reaching the finals!

64 Kg Thomas Blumenfeld VS Nkumbu Silungwe (Zambia)

Three competitors down and two to go to win gold! It is no secret that the men’s lightwelterweight division has the biggest number of boxers compared to the other boxing divisions in the Commonwealth Games. So far, Thomas passed through three opponents to make his way to the semifinals.

His bout against the Zambian did not seem as challenging as we assumed it would be. Using his jab to control the bout, Thomas won all three rounds with the judges scoring it 5 – 0. At this point of the Games, one would assume that the 2017 Celtic Cup champion would be somewhat tired and slowing down, but it is not the case with Blumenfeld! He keeps pushing the pace and running through his opponents.

“Even though I am in the medal rounds, there’s only one medal I’m after and that’s gold!” said Thomas Blumenfeld after exiting the ring.

With his win over Silungwe in the quarterfinals, Canada’s own has secured another podium spot in the semifinals. He will be facing Jessie Lartey on April 13th for the opportunity to compete in the finals.

56 Kg Eric Basran VS Zweli Dlamini (Swaziland)

A great performance by Eric Basran in overcoming his Swaziland challenger in the quarterfinals. The 2017 Canadian Champion controlled the pace of the bout from start to finish by using his speed and reach advantage. His unorthodox style is working in his favor and it makes him fun to watch for the fans. With his win, Eric keeps Team Canada undefeated in the Games.

“Now, I’m just going to focus on my next opponent, study how he moves and how I can move against him,” said Eric Basran after claiming a second victory in the Commonwealth Games.

With a secured medal, Basran looks to get pass Kurt Walter in the semifinals on April 13th to reach the finals. Do not miss this fight as it promises to be a dominant one for Eric!

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                                                           egarneau@boxingcanada.org