By WALTER ALIBEY Monday, August 31 2009

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Jizelle's siblings, Josanne and Joel, with a photo of their late sister....

THIS COUNTRY’S most decorated boxer, Jizelle Salandy won an amazing 11 world titles in her short but illustrious career, up until her death earlier this year on January 4.

Today Salandy’s hard work will be recognised when the country’s highest award the Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago is bestowed on her posthumously during the National Awards Ceremony at the President’s House.

She is among three sporting personalities being honoured. Gertrude Ann Browne-John, a former national and West Indies cricketer who is now vice president at the Trinidad and Tobago Women Cricket Board (TTWCB) will receive the Humming Bird Silver Medal, while ex-national cricketer and footballer Alvin Corneal has been awarded the Public Service Medal of Merit (Gold).

Salandy’s mother, Maureen, died when she was very young, leaving behind the future boxer and her siblings Josanne and Joel.

She attended St Bourgies R.C School. One day on her way home with her brother, she curiously walked into the White Eagles Boxing Gym and began punching away at a punching bag, although she had a broken arm at the time.

Trainer Fitzroy Richards and popular boxer Kim ‘Bone Crusher’ Quashie quickly took her under their wing. At age 14 she became the centre of controversy when her handlers, Richards, Quashie, Cecil Forde and popular promoter and match-maker Boxu Potts accepted a World Boxing Association (WBA) Ibeiro World Title fight against Paola Rojas of Curacao in 2001.

The fight was prohibited in Trinidad and Tobago as laws prevented Salandy, then still a minor, from fighting professionally. However the encounter was made possible under racao laws and Salandy became the youngest boxer ever to win a world title when she defeated Rojas in a scheduled ten-round bout.

Fame now followed Salandy who had been adopted by her neighbour Curtis Joseph but had been separated from her siblings — Josanne and Joel. Salandy left her management team and settled under Joseph where she successfully defended her Ibeiro title against Rojas at age 17.

However, her promising career temporarily hit the ropes because of a lack of fights for two years. Potts and Quashie formed a new management team with the help of then Minister of Community Development, Culture and Gender Affairs Joan Yuille-Williams and Prime Minister Patrick Manning.

Salandy made a triumphant return to the boxing spotlight, defeating Elizabeth Mooney of the United States for the WBA and WBC titles on a card dubbed ‘Trinidad and Tobago versus America’ at the Jean Pierre Complex in September 2006. Two months later she followed with a victory against Mariam Brakash.

In 2007, Salandy in being awarded the Chaconia Gold Medal, was named ‘History making fighter of all times’ and won the First Citizens Sportswoman of the Year award.

In early 2008 Salandy received a major scare when German Natasha Ragoosina broke her record for the most titles won in a single fight by defeating Teresa Perozzi of the US. However, two weeks later, Salandy reclaimed the WBA, WBC, WBE, IWBF, WIBF, WIBA, GBU and UBC titles by whipping Karolina Lukasik in a bout at the Centre of Excellence, Macoya.

Salandy’s last fight was against Yahada Hernandez on December 26, 2008, at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port-of-Spain.

She died nine days later in a car accident at the age of 21.