Fatigue fears for Bascome

Nikki Bascome's involvement at the recent Platinum Gloves Tournament in Florida has ruffled a few feathers at Bermuda Amateur Boxing Association (BABA).

There are those within the association who opposed the promising fighter participating in the recent tournament in Orlando — just weeks before the start of the CAC Games in Puerto Rico.

Bascome eventually won the coveted belt in the novice welterweight division. But despite his success Bermuda manager Debbie Smith believes it was a risk for the teenager to step into the ring on the eve of the CAC Games with so much more at stake.

She argued: "No athlete should go out to a competition when they are facing a major competition. As manager I am taking Nikki to this tournament blind because I don't know what happened to him at the Platinum championship.

"Even though he ended up with a belt I don't know if he had any head blows or anything like that and so we are going out there totally blind."

Bascome went undefeated in three bouts en route to glory in Florida, but was forced to go the distance in two of them before prevailing via the judges' score card.

She added: "We haven't had any kind of report from Rego's Gym ..... all we know is what we read in the newspaper. We just have to rely on his (Bascome) ability to get him through, and we are praying that everything goes well."

Bermuda boxing coach Quinton Mallory fears Bascome could become fatigued in Puerto Rico from over exposure in the ring.

"That is a risk and I don't recommend anyone fighting that close to this type of competition, but it's done and I'm just hoping he benefits from it.

He added: "Right now I have him doing very light but steady training — and he's eager to go."

Also representing Bermuda in boxing at the CAC Games is light heavyweight rookie Ja'Nos Lindsay who is making both his competitive and international debut in the ring.

"Ja'Nos is a fledgling and this will be his first international bout as well as his first bout period in boxing. It's going to be tough, but he should be able to handle it," Smith said.

"We are basically taking Ja'Nos for the exposure and hopefully if he does well we can try to prepare him for Commonwealth Games as well."

Like many, Smith has high expectations for Bascome.  "Comparing Nikki with other boxers that I have seen in the past at other tournaments I think he stands a good chance of medalling — that's our expectation of him," she said.

Coach Mallory is optimistic Lindsay can hold his own once he overcomes the "jitters".

"He will get the jitters but he's fairly well prepared for it," he said. "He's strong enough and mentally he's fairly well ready."