by Dave Delgado

Guam - In boxing news, the August 21 tournament at the Agana Heights Gym will feature local female boxer Gianna Sarasul. Gianna has been boxing for a little over 2 years and has done only two tournaments so far due to the lack of female fighters on island. She has been training hard for the upcoming fight hoping to get an opponent come next week Saturday.

She told KUAM Sports, "I feel real excited about the next up coming tournament. I train 3 days a week and the days that I don't go into training I run, jump rope, sit ups, push-ups with 5 to 6 three-minute rounds on the bags along with weekly sparring. I try to get in as much running as I can, speed bag and hit the mitts with coach Joe Saloma and coach Errol Allegre."

Gianna says that more females should get involved with the sport because not only does it help get you in shape but it also teaches discipline and self- defense. With the induction of women's boxing into the Olympics, the 2012 Games in London will surely give female boxers something to strive for.

"I'm very excited for the 2012 Olympics," she continued. "Hopefully I get more competition out there, more experience so I can get better in boxing. It would be an honor for me to go out there and compete in the Olympics, it's really exciting and it motivates me to work harder and do better and hopefully I get to win some medal back there."

The Road to New Caledonia starts with the upcoming boxing tournament, with a few other events schedule before the Pacific Games set for later next year. Gianna knows that the journey to the Olympics will be hard but is asking for the help of other female competitors to help her on the way.

Gianna added, "This will lead to the 2011 SPG, Oceania Games and the 2012 Olympics so I encourage the female boxers to come out and compete, so you can get a chance to go to New Caledonia and the Olympics and represent Guam."