Dominica is setting eye on grabbing a boxing medal at the 2016 Olympic Games and it may come from a source that most Dominicans have not heard of.
The Dominica Boxing Association (DBA) is presently working on getting to the island 33-year-old Valerian Spicer, who wants to represent Dominica at the games.
Spicer was born in England to a Dominican mother and British father and has a very impressive record on the European boxing circuit. She has competed and won titles at the National ABA, the Haringey Box Cup Championship and Golden Girls Box Cup in Sweden, among others.
Public Relations Officer of the DBA, Aurelius Gordon stated that the association is anxiously looking forward to Spicer qualifying for the 2016 Games.
“This is the first time that Dominica will have a female boxer competing at that level. We have taken part in a few Caribbean Amateur Boxing Championships in Trinidad and across the Caribbean Region but at the Pan American level and at the Olympic Qualifying level we have not,” he told Dominica News Online.
He pointed out that Spicer is the best female amateur boxer in England in her weight category (60 kilograms) and described her as the “crème de la crème”. He noted that she is just what Dominica needs to compete against other teams from Cuba, Brazil and other giants like Mexico in the Olympic finals.
“We are hoping that more female athletes will be inspired to take full part in that level of completion,” Gordon said.
On her part Spicer said she has already made contact with the Dominica High Commission in England and has downloaded the Passport Application Form in order to get her Dominican passport.
She said she is thankful that she is being given the opportunity to represent Dominica. “It’s a dream come true and I can’t wait to get started and win some medals for Dominica,” she said.
The 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
I been boxing for Dominica for 8 Years and never got that open book filled with opportunities the way she did from DOC/DABC.
I am one of the most heartless fighter battled opponents twice my since with guts.
The love i have for the sport will never let me give up for some bitch that have to be a citizen of Dominica.
Please come on, Jamaica never got Bolt from America he is born an raised their, so why do we need a foreigner to represent us when we many potential athletes the bigger heads use and abuse
and not give ppl like me the opportunity to represent my country.
Maybe you just aren’t good enough?
Her mother is a Dominican for God sake! What’s your problem Bro? She is entitled to her citizenship. That allows her to represent Dominica as long as she meets the standard!
WOW! What an inspiration to all women and women in their 30’s. I think the willingness to make huge sacrifices for no guaranteed reward shows a gracious side to her; and her willingness to put in years of hard work representing Dominica. I think any country would be proud to have anyone who has the dedication, will and consistent greatness to even come close to making the Olympic cut! You go girl!
Does anyone remember a Dominican boxer from the 80’s called Dominic Barry?
Yes I know Dominique. I dated him for a few years and visited Dominica with him. He lives in Virginia.
Yea, I remember Barry. A hard hitting Dominican boxer. Saw him fight a pretty good Dominican boxer who had been trained in the USA. His name was Eddie, brother to the new UWP candidate for the Roseau constituency. Actually Eddie was more skilled or talented than Barry, but Barry boxed Eddie arm off its socket and won the fight. Up until then I had not seen a Dominican boxer punched harder.
give her a chances invite her to come set up camp pon d bless land were she can eat fresh good food& water climb d hills to give her more force to help her&da b more reconise
Copy cats. The DBA following the DOC and have their own “rent an athlete” scheme to justify an all-epenxes paid trip to the Olympics. Well, I’m not waving my Dominica flag at that.
I back that %1000
I been boxing for Dominica for 8 Years and never got that open book filled with opportunities the way she did from DOC/DABC.
I am one of the most heartless fighter battled opponents twice my since with guts.
The love i have for the sport will never let me give up for some bitch that have to be a citizen of Dominica.
Please come on, Jamaica never got Bolt from America he is born an raised their, so why do we need a foreigner to represent us when we many potential athletes the bigger heads use and abuse
and not give ppl like me the opportunity to represent my country.
I agree with you 100 percent
@me thats always the case…not even ehr mother and father both from dominica just one parent..cannot make england team and using dominica to go olympics…
I’m not sure if the best way to inspire Dominican females to take part in boxing is by getting foreigners (even with a connection to the island) to represent! a 33yr old amateur too.
The Maximum age for amateur boxing is 34. She is already 33. by 2016 she may be 36….This dosent sound right.
Job will do anything to travel, when the come back is excuses
you check
what else do you have,second class or no class, your pick
Do we have anything to lose if she fights for Da? She is Dominican aussi Toneh!
Excellent news! We wish her all the best. She’s won impressive titles and it’s great she’s chosen to represent Dominica.
that’s weird that she’s allowed to represent Dominica when she’s British of Dominican parentage…
hmmm
I’m not against it…but I’m wondering whether if she wanted to be the PM of Dominica what would be the response.
She’s good enough to represent us as a Dominican but wont be good enough to be considered a Dominican to be a PM….
so it comes down to this we taking second class athletes from a country that dosent want them
we all kno why she decided to box for dominica its because she is not good enough to make the english A or B team so she jumps onto the desperate little country bandwagon to go to the olympics
Interesting…
Some of us are there just to fight down our brothers and sisters who are determined to make it. Instead of helping to hold the ladder, we are cutting the steps under their feet. Some of us are the offspring of those who sold out the plans of the slaves.
I am happy you had the guts to say it. We all know she don’t stand a chance to make it here.
it sad u feeling dat way about dominica when there’s some very talented dominican athletes!
So damn true. i wonder if before all this the girl knew where Dominica is located! What knid of thing this nuh! Look foolishness! Just like this Goldberg character dem have in the Min of Education> Plz ppl when persons cant cut it in their country of birth leave them there dont bring them here to mess up our place
You are so write. She does not know where Dominica is. Have no idea
Gosh we just don’t know how to please certain people.. she could not make the A team so she jumps on the B time, a bit of encouragement is all she needs…
hmn, on the one hand I think yeah, and Nicola Adams will have her any day. (I haven’t much interest in boxing -even with women- so they could well be in completely different leagues) On the other hand, the footballers do it, Zola Budd did it so why not?
i any case we will take her. u typical dominican, do you have another option for us ?
i any case we will take her. u typical dominican, do you have another option for us ?
to: me
even if you are right it doesn’t make a lot of difference because Dominica sport policy is mindless and winning any medal on the Olympics with present level of funding / administration / ignorant bureaucracy is JUST IMPOSSIBLE. Instead of throwing excrements online, be mature and realistic…
you are absolutely right. I live close to hackney and the amount of boxers there are at her level is unbelievable. my neighbour has more titles than she has, but even her is not good enough for the games due to the number of top level boxers we have to choose from. now spicer next and only step to the Olympic is her next option -(represent Dominica) where there is no other.
-NOW SHE WANTS A DA PASSPORT. Most Dominican oversees try to get new overseas passport as their is less restriction carring one.
This is nothing for Dominican to celebrate about this individual representing DA.
Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but this comment is both unfair and inaccurate.
Valerian has never lost to a domestic level boxer. Only 3 boxers have won a decision over her, and each was the champion of their respective country. She is certainly talented enough to represent England. Furthermore she is of Dominican decent. Most of her family live on the island, an island she visited several times with her family long before she took up boxing.
I hope she does qualify to compete at a major championship for Dominica. Winning a medal could inspire other girls on the island to take part in sports and reach for their dreams, which can’t be a bad thing.
GREAT JOB!!! Hope u make us proud
its about time all the best girl
she’s not dominican
As a fervent boxing supporter I hope this works out, both for us and Valerian. As I understand it she currently represents England in international matches but did not qualify for last year’s London Olympics. The last time I heard her being in action on the internatioanl scene was at a European boxing tounament in Sweden in Jan. of this year, where she was beaten in the semi-finals by a young lady from Finland. Next month she is scheduled to take part in a meet in Tilbury (England) and I’ll be following that closely. What does worry me though is that by the next Olympics in Brasil she will be 36 years old. I doubt she would qualify for the Britain team but may do so for Dominica by default. I would hate to think we end up with another Erison Hurtault. Whatever happens we should wish her, and the Dominica team good luck. We really could do with some dynamic, positive exposure.
i bet i can beat her one on one ,dont want to sound like an A.. , but its just how i feel… we have to becareful who we choose to represent our Wonderful country DOMINICA
She will have her work cut out for her, but GREAT effort, good to know she’s rep DA. Im Canadian but I will be backin her for sure.
Good luck