PHILIPSBURG--St. Maarten Middle Weight Boxer Malcolm Phillips has returned from the Caribbean Boxing Development Tournament on St. Lucia.
“I wanted to win. I thought I had,” said Phillips.
He explained there is a new emphasis on scoring a bout in the amateur ring.
“It’s all about technique and being aggressive.”
Phillips lost to Aruba in a three round, three minutes each round bout by split decision.
“I needed to be more aggressive. I should have chased him around the ring as he danced away from me.”
Phillips’ coach Earl Duzong agrees. “We did not know that the point system had changed,” said Duzong.
“I think Malcolm could have won the tournament. The guy from Aruba went all the way to the final and lost by split decision. Malcolm was well prepared for the fight. He has good conditioning”
Duzong attended a coaching information session after the fight and learned about the new point system.
“A fighter can be throwing wild punches and actually knock down his opponent but may not get points for that. The emphasis at the amateur level is on technique.”
Now it is back to training and preparing for the next fight. The 2018 amateur calendar of events has yet to be published.
The Development Tournament is the biggest
competition in the Caribbean with all the countries in the region sending fighters.
The trip was made possible by Orange Grove Pharmacy and NAPA Auto Parts.
