Bronze it is

ANDERSON EMMANUEL didn’t get to land a punch.Landing a bronze, however, proved not so bad a consolation prize.Barbados’ top amateur boxer had to settle for his second Central American and Caribbean Games (CAC) bronze medal in as many meets when he was forced to pull out of Wednesday night’s semi-final bout in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.Emmanuel didn’t step in the ring to face Colombia’s Devis Julio in their 96kg clash, after a soft tissue injury to his upper left forearm from a previous fight left him unable to even fold a fist.It was the second time in four years that Emmanuel was forced out of a competition due to injury, having exited the 2006 Commonwealth Games at the same stage following a similar ailment.But although he failed to raise a fist, Emmanuel was able to lift Barbados’ medal tally to eight – three gold, two silver and three bronze – at these games where the country has been enduring some lean times recently.Women’s hockey can do no better than bronze as well after they lost their semi-final game against Mexico 2-0 on Wednesday evening.Third-place matchBut unlike boxing, they have to play a third-place match for that medal and it will be against the Dominican Republic, who were thrashed 6-1 by Barbados’ long-time rivals Trinidad and Tobago in the other semi.Barbados’ men’s team failed to advance to the gold-medal match after losing 3-1 to Mexico yesterday evening.No information was readily available for the sailing exploits of Jason Tindale in the men’s standing laser, nor for the J-24 team of Ian Mayers, Peter Thompson, Pedro Hinds, and Edward Cheeseman.