MAY 12, 2022 | TORONTO, ON. – Boxing Ontario has sent a team of eleven athletes to compete at the 2022 YYC Cup (Calgary Cup) on May 13-15, 2022.
The tournament, hosted by Southpaw Family Fitness & Boxing Gym and sanctioned by Boxing Alberta, will feature top athletes and teams from across Canada and will be live-streamed via the Millions platform.
Team Ontario will be represented by:
| Category | Name | Club | Hometown |
| 57kg Elite Male Open | Austine Bayani | AFT Top Glove | Brantford |
| 92+kg Open | Umar Carcamo | King of the Ring | Brampton |
| 75kg Elite Open | Eric Del Monte | Delgado Boxing Club | Mississauga |
| 66kg Female Elite Open | Tara Jokar Deris | K. O. Club | Maple |
| 71kg Elite Open | Hunter Lee | West Windsor Boxing Club | Windsor |
| 63.5kg Elite Open | Jason Marquez | DC Boxing Academy | Guelph |
| 63.5kg Youth Open | Owen Paquette | AFT Top Glove | Brantford |
| 52kg Female Elite Open | Sarah Rigato | Delgado Boxing Club | Mississauga |
| 57kg Elite Open | Jose Valdez | Stockyards Boxing Club | Toronto |
| 60kg Jr C Open | Liam Welch | Blackeye Boxing Club | Brantford |
| 75kg Youth Open | Daniel Wilson | BUDO Canada | Toronto |
| Team Coach | Socrates Celestial | Kombat Arts Training Academy | Mississauga |
| Team Coach | Ibrahim Kamal | MJKO Boxing | Toronto |
| Team Coach | Raymond Napper | Napper’s Boxing Club | Welland |
| Team Manager | Shar Gupta | High Performance Committee | Toronto |
The Ontario squad includes provincial team members (following the results of the 2022 Provincial Team Selection Competition held on February 5-6, 2022) as well as national team members who were selected for Team Canada in March and April, 2022.
Boxing Ontario hosted two training camps at Kombat Arts Training Academy in Mississauga to help athletes prepare for the YYC Cup in addition to the training received at their home gyms. “The team prepared for this tournament with their personal coaches working on conditioning, technical/tactical components for success. We had two great training camps, where all the athletes received high caliber sparring. Also, during the camps, our athletes worked on various technical and tactical drills to prepare themselves for different styles and opponents they may face in the tournament,” says Team Coach Ibrahim Kamal.
Going into the tournament, the athletes are focused on their developmental and competitive goals. “I expect myself to win my bouts and get fair decisions,” commented Tara Jokar Deris. Sarah Rigato stated, “My goal for this tournament, like any fight, is to showcase my abilities and come out with a win. I plan to go out there fight my fight and perform my best.” For Liam Welch, “My goal from this experience is to is learn from the team, increase my abilities, and simply get me back into the ring.”
For many of the participants, returning to competition and travelling to tournaments is a welcome change following years of restrictions, closures, and delays due to COVID-19. “This is my first tournament back since COVID, and I am excited to fight and be in the community again,” says Liam Welch. Sarah Rigato echoes the sentiment, stating, “I’m excited to get back in the ring, and to do so as a Team Ontario athlete with some very talented boxers and coaches is a really great opportunity. I believe having the ability to travel to compete gives me valuable experience in taking the next steps towards my goals in competing on an international stage.”
The 2022 YYC Cup represents the first time that top talent from across the country will be facing off since the pandemic. “I believe there is always something to gain and learn from each fight, and Calgary Cup, being a national tournament provides fighters to compare their skills, abilities, and fight styles with other competitive athletes within Canada,” says Sarah Rigato.
“I expect our athletes to have a great showing at the tournament, we have a very talented team and I expect our team to go very far, with many making it to the finals. This is the first multi-province tournament since the pandemic, and it’s a great way for our athletes to familiarize themselves with other provinces. My goal is for all our athletes to have a successful, enjoyable, and memorable competition,” says Coach Ibrahim.
“The goal for the tournament is to have fun, get experience, try our hardest and win,” states Team Coach Raymond Napper. “Calgary Cup is a great opportunity for return to competition to get our athletes some experience away from home. Ontario has the best boxers in the country and this will help develop them into future national champions.”
Team Ontario athletes will make their tournament debut during the Friday afternoon session at 12pm MT (2pm ET) and will feature Owen Paquette, Liam Welch, Sarah Rigato, Austine Bayani, and Jose Valdez.
2022 YYC Cup Information:
- Upcoming matches.
- To book the live stream, please click here.
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About Boxing Ontario:
Boxing Ontario is the only governing body for Olympic-style boxing in Ontario. As such, it is affiliated with Boxing Canada (CABA), the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, & Sport. Founded in 1972, Boxing Ontario encompasses over 100 clubs, 2,500 competitors, and more than 12,000 recreational members.
Media Contact:
Rebecca Freeman
Communications, Boxing Ontario
Interview Opportunities:
Interviews are available virtually, via email or phone with:
- Team Ontario athletes and coaches
- Jennifer Huggins (President, Boxing Ontario)
- Erik Espinola (Executive Director, Boxing Ontario)
- Board Members (contacts available upon request)
