ONTARIO WINTER GAMES
MUSKOKA — Muskoka boxers took home one gold and three silver medals during the Ontario Winter Games on the weekend.
Four boxers who train at the Bala Youth Boxing Club competed at the games, which were held across Muskoka March 4-7.
Boxing was held at the The Rosseau in Minett on March 5.
In the gold medal match, two Bala Youth Boxing Club members faced each other.
Bryan Black, 15, from Bracebridge and Bala resident Caleb Luksa, 15, were the only two competitors in the 66 kilogram novice class, which meant they fought each other.
Luksa emerged victorious, which meant a gold medal. Black earned a silver medal in the bout.
“It feels cool to win gold at the Ontario Winter Games,” said Luksa.
The bout finished in the second round after Luksa delivered two clean heavy shots, which gave him two standing eight counts. A standing eight count means the boxers stop fighting while the referee counts to eight. In Boxing Ontario rules, two standing eight counts in one round means the fight is finished and the boxer who delivered the punches wins.
Luksa has been with the Bala club for two and a half years.
Black, who has approximately a year of training, said he could not believe at first that there were two heavy hits. He was ready to keep fighting, he said.
Fighting a fellow club member meant Black had to change his mindset and not think of Luksa as a buddy, he said.
Luksa said fighting a club member meant they knew each other’s fighting style.
“It kind of took the pressure off. It felt like another spar,” he said.
During another match, Bala resident Lee Tombs, 16, took on Omar Faruk Abukar of Waterloo in the 64 kilogram youth novice class.
Tombs said Abukar had the speed advantage, getting in 19 points to win the bout.
In order to achieve a point the boxer must land a forceful punch with the white “knuckle” portion of the glove, in the target zone. The target zone is the front and sides of the head and body. Tombs emerged with two points, but he wasn’t discouraged.
“It was a big experience boost,” he said afterwards. The match was Tombs’ third bout.
It will likely be the 16-year-old fighter’s only chance at the Ontario Winter Games. Tombs attends St. Dominic Catholic Secondary School and has been training at the Bala club for more than two years.
New to the club is Gravenhurst resident Logan Patricio, 17, who took on Chris Matthews of the Steeltown club in the 91 kilograms plus youth novice class.
Patricio was doing well earning two points in the match, but turned his head twice in one round which meant he lost the match, said Bala head coach Lisle Bynoe.
“He was ahead in points,” said Bynoe.
After the match Patricio thought he did well for his first bout.
“I ran out of steam there near the end,” he admitted.
Patricio said he will work on building his stamina for the future.
Both Tombs and Patricio earned silver medals for placing second in their class.
Bynoe said he is proud of his fighters.
“I am happy with their performance. They did exceptionally well,” he said.