My trainer, Ngo Okafor, won the novice heavyweight division last night in the finals at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden. This was the 81st annual Daily News Golden Gloves, a highly respected and coveted amateur boxing competition.
T’was no easy feat.
Ngo weighed in each fight at barely 190 or 191 in a division where most of the guys were weighing close to 200 LBS. He was the lightest guy in each of the fights leading up to the finals, yet he dominated each time he stepped in the squared circle. Ngo fought more than any other golden gloves competitor, having never drawn a bye.
Ngo put on a pair of gloves for the first time only 2 years ago and he’s one of the most talented boxers I’ve seen. It’s too bad he never started sooner (he’s 33 yrs old now) and he has no plans to lace them up again now that he’s sporting the beautiful gold and diamond gloves around his neck. As I can relate, the training has seriously taken it’s toll on him physically, mentally and financially. Ngo runs his own personal training business and it has taken every last inch of energy for him to see this through to the end.
The the payoff was worth it cause he looked great. Fast, strong, good combinations, and lots of pressure on his formidable opponent. Unanimous decision. I thought I was going to come out of my skin.
I couldn’t be more proud of my trainer who deserves every single drop of alcohol he consumed last night during the celebratory bar-hopping he made with his large group of friends appropriately in tow. I am BEAMING with pride.
