Trainee police on her way to Mixed Martial Arts stardom

Mar 10, 2017 Sports, http://www.kaieteurnewsonline....artial-arts-stardom/

By Edison Jefford
Shenese Bobb’s personality belies the fierce fighter she has become, but what is now clear is that the trainee police officer is well on her way to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) stardom after winning a gold medal in the Ruff and Tuff battle in Trinidad and Tobago.
Bobb fought in the 132 lbs weight category and while still considered an amateur, the athlete will continue to put in the necessary training in Shotokan Karate, to ensure her ascendancy to the next level, as she intends to take the gruelling sport seriously.
The affable and well-mannered 20-year-old also competes in track and field, but stated that she is taking MMA seriously based on her outstanding performance in Trinidad and Tobago recently; a performance that Assistant Commissioner of Police, Paul Williams called historic for the Guyana Police Force.
“Well, for the first time I was scared, but when I gathered myself, and did what I was coached to do, I overcame those fears to win. It was fun and now I look forward to future fights,” Bobb told Kaieteur Sport in a brief interview yesterday.
The trainee Police Officer, who is still enrolled at the Felix Austin Police Training College, went to the Ruff and Tuff Promotion affair with Paul Ignatius, who fought his way to a silver medal in the 155 lbs category.
“For a female fighter to leave this country, and do so well feels good to me, and I will ensure that it is a beneficial experience. Once I commit to something, I usually do my best, but I didn’t think that I would have done so well,” the soft-spoken Bobb continued.
The Trinidad and Tobago MMA Federation coordinated the event. The MMA in the Caribbean is affiliated to the International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF), which is the international governing body for the sport that also regulates the super popular UFC.
Assistant Commissioner, Williams indicated that Bobb emerged as a result of his re-introduction of self-defence into the training college. “I am very pleased with Bobb’s performance. I think she is the first female police to win an international kick-boxing title,” he said.
“She has made the entire Guyana proud and it is not just Bobb, we have lots of police with black belts in the Force. I’m happy that we’re doing well in terms of introducing new sports within the Force,” Williams added.
Sensei Babb is Bobb’s trainer. Guyana will have its own view of MMA fighting when the Fight Central team, which is the Guyanese extension of the regional body, introduces the activity to the country later this month. Details of this development were promised later.