(COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.) – Ten of the nation’s top youth boxers will represent the United States at the 2010 Youth World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, April 20-May 2. The U.S. squad was chosen at the 2010 Under-19 National Championships in Cincinnati earlier this year and now the United States’ best will face the greatest 17 and 18-year-old boxers from around the world. The top four finishers in each of the eleven contested weight divisions will advance on to the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August.
A record 555 boxers from 109 nations are registered to compete in the Youth World Championships with the boxers competing in three, three-minute rounds of action. Formerly called the Cadet World Championships, the event is the most prestigious tournament in the world for youth boxers. The event has been contested since 1979 and is held every two years.
The ten boxers representing the United States in Azerbaijan will be light flyweight Carlos Suarez (Lima, Ohio), flyweight Emmanuel Folly (Philadelphia, Pa.), bantamweight Emonte Scruggs (Dayton, Ohio), featherweight Luis Feliciano (Milwaukee, Wis.), lightweight Ryan Martin (Chattanooga, Tenn.), light welterweight George Rincon (Carrollton, Texas), welterweight Alantez Fox (Forrestville, Md.), middleweight D’Mitrius Ballard (Temple Hills, Md.), light heavyweight Jerry Odom (Bowie, Md.), and heavyweight Joshua Temple (St. Louis, Mo.). As there were no competitors in the super heavyweight division at the Under 19 National Championships; USA Boxing will not be sending a super heavyweight to Baku.
The coaches guiding the young U.S. boxers in Baku are Gene Vivero (Dallas, Texas) and Anthony Chase (Marietta, Ga.) and Ted Palac (Hamtramck, Mich.) will serve as Team Manager for the competition. The U.S. squad will arrive in Baku on April 18 for a short preparatory training camp before opening competition on April 23 at the Serhedchi Olympic Sport Complex. Preliminary competition will run through April 27 with quarterfinal action being contested on April 28. All of the competitors will enjoy a rest day before the tournament concludes with semifinal competition on April 30 and final round action on May 1.
The U.S. team members will all look to duplicate the feat of 2008 Youth World Champion Joey Dawjeko (Philadelphia, Pa.) with a gold medal victory in Baku. He became the first U.S. boxer since welterweight Juan McPherson (Cleveland, Ohio) in 2002 to claim a youth world championship with a win in the super heavyweight division.
