Potts: Sport Ministry KOs Lawrence

WORLD Boxing Council (WBC) FECARBOX (Caribbean and Central American) light heavyweight champion Sheldon Lawrence has been stripped of his belt for failing to defend his title within the stipulated six-month period.

The boxer’s management team yesterday blamed the Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs for allowing their fighter to be inactive for so long.

Lawrence defeated compatriot Nigel Edwards on January 28, 2017, in an eighth round TKO to capture the WBC FECARBOX title, which he successfully defended against Guyana’s Shawn Corbin in January of this year with a knockout in round 11. Unfortunately, Lawrence has not fought since that bout.

He has also slipped one notch from 18th to 19th in the latest official WBC light heavyweight world rankings.

According to spokesperson Boxu Potts, “Lawrence has received a battering and was knocked out by the Sport Ministry, contrary to its mandate to serve all sport without discrimination under its existing policy.”

Potts said: “The Ministry of Sport has failed miserably, under what appears to be a discriminatory dispensation of its elite athlete and/or grant funding programme, by refusing to disburse desperately needed funds towards this hard working and hugely talented champion fighter to prepare for his defence of an international crown.

“In essence, the Ministry has robbed a patriotic son-of-the-soil athlete of further achieving international sporting success as well as glory, goodwill and global exposure for TT. The Sport Ministry has caused a major embarrassment to TT and one of its elite athletes, widely considered the golden boy of boxing in the Caribbean and Central America, to be stripped of the regional title and drop down the WBC’s world ranking.”

Potts believes that if Lawrence had gotten elite athlete or grant funding to facilitate his preparations, he would have been able to take no-pay time-off from his offshore job to train properly for a defence of his belt.

Lawrence has been pleading with the Ministry of Sport to assist him in his quest to become this country’s fourth world boxing champion, following the accomplishments of Claude Noel, Leslie Stewart and Giselle Salandy.

Potts said: “It is very sad when an athlete who dedicates his heart and soul to fight for his country at the highest level, must sit and suffer without assistance in accordance with the policy of the Ministry of Sport, and when monies are being spent on all sort of other initiatives that’s not geared at athlete’s sustenance and development.” Potts said every investment in Lawrence so far has resulted in a win by the fighter.

He added that while being stripped is a setback towards the talented Siparia-based fighter securing a shot for the WBC world title, all is not lost.

He explained that by virtue of Lawrence’s world top 20 ranking in the division, Lawrence can secure a shot at the WBC silver belt or WBC international title, either of which will place him a fight away from a world title contest.

Potts is calling on Sport Minister Shamfa Cudjoe, Permanent Secretary Nicolette Duke and Director, Physical Education and Sport Patrice Charles to clear the air on why Lawrence is being denied funding.