Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 08, 2013 Sports
Today marks an important era in local sports history, the 33rd year since bantamweight boxer, Michael Anthony Parris, defied the critics and broke the Olympics jinx after winning a bronze medal at the Moscow Olympics, 1980.
When the boxers departed Guyana, the pundits were hardly optimistic of any of them winning medals. This lack of confidence was further fuelled by an incident four years prior when a team, touted as the most formidable to have been selected for representation at the 1976 Montreal, Canada Olympics were left disappointed following the then Government’s decision to boycott the event. As a matter of fact, almost all sovereign African nations and a few other countries from elsewhere boycotted the games in Montreal, in reaction to the International Olympic Committee’s refusal to ban New Zealand, whose rugby team had been touring South Africa, a country that had been excluded from many international sporting events due to implementation of apartheid policy.
The pundits were adamant that the Canada bound squad would have broken the Olympics Gold medal jinx; the political decision quashed all hopes.
The 1980 contingent consisted of four boxers; bantamweight, Michael Anthony Parris, featherweight, Dansford Brown, middleweight, Alfred Thomas and junior/welterweight, Barrington Cambridge and the general consensus was that it was a trip in futility. Parris proved the pundits wrong when he won his first fight against Nigerian, Nureni Gbadamosi and his second against Fayerz Zaghloul of Syria. He then won against Mexican, Daniel Zaragoza by a 2nd round technical knockout before dropping a 5-0 points decision to Cuban, Juan Hernandez.
Had he won that bout, he would have been propelled into the finals for a shot at the coveted gold medal; a loss would have netted him a silver medal. He eventually won a bronze medal. The feat was regarded as highly meritorious especially since no other Guyanese athlete at those games emulated or eclipsed it.
With the internet, not even in its embryonic stages and the communication process frustratingly slow, local sports fans were made to stew in anxiety and frustration but were eventually informed that Paris had lost his quarterfinals bout but had nonetheless won the lone medal at the Games.
As anticipated, Parris became an instant hero and upon his return to Guyana, was given a fitting welcome. The Minister of Sports, the late, Shirley Field Ridley and a delegation of sports officials met the champion at the airport and witnessed by a huge welcoming party of excited Guyanese, garlanded Parris before he was taken on a grand motorcade around Georgetown and its environs. The Government of the day then bequeathed a house to the boxing champion and he was subsequently regarded as a valued citizen and a true son of the soil.
Today, thirty three years later, that accomplishment still stands firm as the only medal this country has won at that prestigious forum. Sadly, the powers that be are either reluctant or unwilling to acknowledge this meritorious feat.
Nevertheless, Kaieteur Sport wishes to be among the first, and hopefully not the only organization, to heap kudos on Michael Anthony Parris as we solemnly reminisce on that day when he lifted Guyana to great heights.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
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