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NATIONAL Olympic boxer Carlos Suarez, American-based with TT parentage, is still hopeful of grabbing a spot at the Olympic Games in Paris, France, this year.
On January 30, Suarez’s attorneys Darrell Allahar, Matthew Allahar, Danyal Mohammed and Mathias Sylvester wrote to the TT Boxing Association calling for the promised “box-off” against the national champion for a spot on the national team.
The letter was copied to the Ministry of Sport, the TT Olympic Committee and the Sport Company.
Suarez represented TT twice, at the 2012 Olympics in London and again in 2016 in Rio.
His attorneys said in September, last year, his manager/trainer communicated with the TTBA about the selection process for the national boxing team.
Suarez made it known he was available to participate in any qualification exercise. He was allegedly told it would not be possible for him, as a professional boxer, to compete at the national championships, but that TT’s representative for his weight class – light flyweight – would be chosen from a “box-off” which would be held separately from the championships.
In December, he was provided with the registration forms and notice of the championships which were to be held from January 18-21 at the Pleasantville Regional Indoor sporting facility. He registered believing this was his formal acknowledgement of his participation in the selection process as he had been sent an online link for the forms.
Suarez and his manager/trainer communicated with the head coach Reynold Cox and the TTBA in the prevailing weeks.
He was also informed that the national team were expected to leave immediately after the championships to travel to Spain for the Boxam Tournament and training camp.
Suarez and his manager/trainer arrived in TT on January 14 expecting to take part in the” box-off” on January 23.
The weigh-in event was called off because national champ, Ortega Jokhu, suffered an injury. Suarez said he was also told Jokhu was selected to go to the Olympic qualifiers. The qualifiers begin in Italy on February 29 and boxers are expected to compete on March 3
“Our client and his manager/trainer were extremely upset and communicated their disappointment.”
According to the letter, Suarez again tried to make his case.
He returned to the US on January 25, after not hearing from the TTBA.
“At all material times, it was represented to our client that he would compete in the local qualifying process of the Paris 2024 Olympics by participating in a box-off against the local amateur champion in his weight category to select the boxer who would be competing on behalf of Trinidad and Tobago in the Olympic qualifying bouts for that weight category.”
The letter said there have not been any public statements by the TTBA refuting the arrangements that the winner of the national championships would take on Suarez in a box-off for a spot on the national team.
“Our client has spent a considerable time training in participation for the selection process and has expended a large amount of money to come to Trinidad and to pay for his accommodation.
“...Our client is understandably upset and disappointed at the TTBA, being the body responsible for the recommendation of athletes to the local TT Olympic Committee for participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.”
The attorneys accused the TTBA of acting high-handed and in an unfair manner sorely lacking in sportsmanship.
They say Suarez is ready at short notice to participate in the selection process to represent TT at the Olympic qualifiers in Italy later in February. “TT deserves to be represented by its best athletes."
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