While the rest of us chow down on turkey and all the fixings, two local boxers will be passing on gravy and mashed potatoes.
Kenny Lally and Jag Seehra, a pair of 21-year-olds who are fresh off a great showing at the national senior boxing championships in Quebec, will have to keep up their training through the holiday season to be ready for the Canadian team's final selection camp, which will be held Jan. 18-22 in St. Hyacinthe, Que.
"One helping of Christmas turkey, and no Christmas cheer," said their coach, Inner City Boxing Club leader Bob Pegues.
Lally, who won national gold in Quebec City earlier this month, has his eyes firmly trained on the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, slated for London. At the camp in St. Hyacinthe, Lally will be looking to defend his berth on the national A team, with three other boxers in contention. A spot on the B team is also up for grabs.
"This really should be just a formality for Kenny, no one wants anything to do with him anymore," Pegues said about the 52-kilogram class fighter.
"He's knocked two of the other three fighters out, and he gets to pick who he fights in his first fight. He's going there to stop, either knockout or TKO, anyone he steps in the ring with. He wants to make a big impression because Boxing Canada and the Canadian Olympic Committee are looking at him. So he wants to knock everyone out."
Seehra, who snagged silver at nationals when he lost a points race to Ayaz Hussein of Montreal, will have a battle on his hands in his weight class, and is among six boxers battling for A and B team spots. Hussein has the glimmer of gold on his resume, but Alex Rynn is the incumbent on the A team. Mikael Gadbois will want to at least retain his spot on the B squad. Also in contention are four-time national champion Cam O'Connel and Ron Marcovitz, who is the former Israeli junior titleist and won the 2009 Canadian junior crown.
"Jag is going to have to have the best weekend of his life, because he's not going to get any shortcuts (byes) and he's not going to have an easy fight anywhere in that draw," said Pegues.
"Rynn and O'Connel have beaten Hussein and Jag knows what he has to do to beat him now, too."
At the very least, Seehra, in the 60kg division, is in the running to serve as a replacement boxer for major international competitions should one of the other boxers be unable to attend for reasons such as injury.
While focusing on their training, Seehra and Lally will also take time to give their words of wisdom at the B.C. Junior Team training camp, slated for the Northern Sport Centre Dec. 27-31, and up to a dozen boxers are expected.
