Boxer Tianna Guy will carry the hopes of T&T Sunday at the International Boxing Association's (IBA) Women's World Boxing Championships in New Delhi, India.
She will take on Petecio Nesthy of the Philippines in a featherweight division contest at 11.30 am (TT time).
Guy's encounter comes on the heels of losses by Angel George and Leeann Boodram in their respective bouts on Friday. George went down to Celine Lee-Lo of New Zealand in an 81 kg bout 5-0, and Boodram also perished in her 75-81 kg fight with Fariza Sholtay of Kazakhstan when the referee had to stop the contest courtesy of a brutal Sholtay attack.
Guy is convinced she does not get the best of draws at meets, as she faces the 2020 Olympic Games silver medallist. Coach Reynold Cox told Guardian Media Sports on Saturday that his fighter has been putting in the work which makes him feel confident today.
She had been on practice exhibitions in Puerto Rico and the United States recently ahead of the Golden Belt Series in Morocco where she went down in a controversial fight 3-2 to Nayara Arroyo Rodriguez of Spain. Soon after at the Independence Cup in the Dominican Republic from February 15-20, Guy was also beaten. Cox explained that he is not too worried about his fighter as she has been learning a lot from her fights.
"We want to go on the counter-attack today (Sunday). We have to try and be more aggressive and keep her opponent on the back foot. From what I have seen, the Philippines' fighter does not really throw too many punches but she is a strong fighter so I want to go hard on the attack," Cox said.
Guy is a bronze medal winner at the Golden Belt Series in Mexico last year. She is trying to earn a qualifying berth at the Olympic Games in France next year and for this to happen, she has to be among the top 10 in her division in the Americas.
Cox said although a qualifying spot will be difficult, he believes his fighter has the ability to make it.