The Bahamas was thrown another staggering blow when Valentino Knowles lost his opening bout to rival Manoj Kumar.
The light welterweight fighter, Knowles, was the last man standing for The Bahamas at the International Boxing Association’s (AIBA) World Boxing Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. The first bout for the two boxers, in the 64k division, saw Kumar outscore Knowles 17:11. Teammate Carl Hield was eliminated from the competition, which is an Olympic qualifier on Thursday. The boxers will now have to wait until next year to qualify for the London Olympic Games, set to start July 27-August 9.
The first round elimination came as a shock for both Knowles and Hield. Both boxers were hoping to fight through their draws and finish in the top, which would have guaranteed
Knowles said his showing with Kumar was much better than the last time they touched gloves in the ring. Even though he is 0-2 against the Indian fighter, Knowles believes if he gets another opportunity he will send Kumar to the canvas.
