Canadian boxers Victoria Vergos (16) and Owen Paquette (18) are set to compete in the 2023 AMBC Continental Boxing Championships, taking place in Cali, Colombia from August 1-10. Both promising athletes are proudly sponsored by SPAR Boxing, a leading Canadian Boxing Gear & Apparel company.
Victoria Vergos hails from Hamilton, Ontario, and is a competitive boxer at Steeltown Boxing, under the coaching of Spencer Wilcox and Bob Wilcox. Her athletic journey began in gymnastics, where she competed for around six years. However, three years ago, Vergos discovered her true passion - boxing.
Born into a boxing family, she initially learned the basics of the sport, soon realizing her potential in it. Thanks to her gymnastics background, she possessed the necessary coordination, conditioning, and strength to excel in boxing. She made the switch and began training at the Steeltown Boxing Club. Since her first fight in May 2022, her boxing career has been on a fast track, now boasting 17 fights to her name. Vergos will compete in the 57kg division at the championship.
Brantford, Ontario's Owen Paquette is a formidable competitor who trains at AFT Top Glove Boxing, under the guidance of Coach Darryl Paquette. Since beginning his boxing journey at the age of 9, Paquette has fought in over 50 bouts. He is a part of Canada's youth national boxing team and is ranked #1 in Canada.
Paquette's recent accolades include winning a gold medal at the Canada Winter Games in PEI and competing in Aiba's 2022 Youth World Boxing Championships in Spain. These experiences have helped him to hone his skills against competitors from around the world, shaping him into the versatile boxer he is today. Paquette will compete in the 63.5kg division at the championship.
Boxing Canada selected these athletes, along with Karan Sembhi and Parminder Pannu from King of the Ring, to represent Canada at the AMBC Continental Championships based on their impressive performances at the national Youth Talent ID Camp, held in Montreal, QC, from May 18-21, 2023.
Provincial Coach Ray Napper spoke highly of the athletes, "Our youth team worked very hard and showed that they belong with the top boxers in the country. They have a very bright future, and I wouldn’t be surprised to have several champions as Youth and as they move on to Elite. I’m very proud of the job Boxing Ontario’s Youth team did at the INS national training camp."
Comments