Eight years after T&T’s most successful woman boxer, Giselle Salandy died in a road traffic accident, the community of Hickling Village, Siparia, have come together to honour her memory and contribution to the sporting discipline.
Through United National Congress (UNC) councillor for Mondesir, Deryck Bowrin, a motion was moved at the last statutory meeting of the Siparia Regional Corporation to rename the Hickling Village Recreation ground, located just behind the house in which she grew up, in her name. Her relatives still live in the area.
It was one of the few motions which had the unanimous support of both the UNC and People’s National Movement (PNM) councillors to rename the ground, the Giselle Salandy Recreational Facility.
Bowrin, said he moved the motion on the request of the community, especially the group known as Quarters United, to honour the former boxing great. That area in Hickling Village where she grew up, is divided into quarters and known as First Quarters and Second Quarters, he explained.
“I was only too happy to oblige because to have that calibre of person in your community and not recognize her contribution would have been embarrasing,” Bowrin said.
He said now that the motion has passed, he is hoping the exercise would be completed before the end of June. He said he would be lobbying the Minister of Public Utilities Fitzgerald Hinds to upgrade the facility by installing lights on the grounds
“That would be the icing on the cake, “ he said.
Salandy, died on the morning of January 4, 2009, at the age of 21, but in her short career was the holder of eight international boxing titles including Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA), World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC) titles. She was also awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal in 2007.