Jump to content
  • Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Excitement growing for Nova Scotia’s Olympic boxer


Pelican Press
 Share

Recommended Posts

This is the hidden content, please

Excitement growing for Nova Scotia’s Olympic boxer

HALIFAX – Hundreds of people in a rural corner of Nova Scotia are expected to gather in a baseball field Sunday to watch on a big screen as their neighbour, boxer Wyatt Sanford, competes for an Olympic medal.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Regardless of the outcome, there will be an epic celebration.

The 25-year-old athlete from the village of Kennetcook, N.S., is assured of winning a medal as the semifinals begin. Under Olympic rules, the two boxers who lose at this stage each take home a bronze medal.

As a result, Sanford is sure to win Canada’s first Olympic medal in boxing since David Defiagbon’s heavyweight silver in Atlanta in 1996.

“The entire community is so excited about this, and so proud of Wyatt and what he’s done,” said Eleanor Roulston, warden of the Municipality of East Hants, which includes Kennetcook — population 150. The village, about an hour’s drive north of Halifax, is not far from the eastern edge of the Bay of Fundy.

Story continues below advertisement

Related Videos

Roulston says a big crowd was on hand at Kenetcook’s Findley Park on Thursday when Sanford advanced to the semifinals in the men’s 63.5-kilogram category by defeating Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Abdullaev at North Paris Arena.


Breaking news from Canada and around the world
sent to your email, as it happens.

data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw==

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News’
This is the hidden content, please
and
This is the hidden content, please
.

She says residents cheered so loudly, she’s sure they could be heard in France.

“There were a lot of people with tears in their eyes,” Roulston said in an interview. “The mood was electric.”

After Sanford won the ******, he released a statement saying, “Kennetcook wants the gold and I want to give it to them.” But he’ll have to win on Sunday to get the opportunity to deliver on that pledge.

Sanford, who goes by the nickname “Sandman” but has also been dubbed “The Kennetcook ****,” is setting a good example for young people in the area, Roulston added.

Story continues below advertisement

“It shows that someone with the talent, the drive and the work ethic can accomplish big things,” she said. “It means that a man from rural East Hants can dream the big dream and can put in the work that’s required. It opens the eyes of young people to more possibilities.”

Sanford and Montreal’s Tammara Thibeault, who competed in the women’s 75-kg division but was eliminated after her first bout, are the only ********* boxers in Paris.

Sanford started boxing when he was 10 years old. He won gold last year at the Pan ********* Games in Santiago, Chile, and he also competed at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

This report by The ********* Press was first published Aug. 3, 2024.

&copy 2024 The ********* Press




This is the hidden content, please

#Excitement #growing #Nova #Scotias #Olympic #boxer

This is the hidden content, please

This is the hidden content, please

Link to comment
Share on other sites


Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

Important Information

Privacy Notice: We utilize cookies to optimize your browsing experience and analyze website traffic. By consenting, you acknowledge and agree to our Cookie Policy, ensuring your privacy preferences are respected.