Jag Seehra failed to defend his position on the Canadian national B boxing team.
In the gold-medal bout Thursday at the 2012 Junior/Youth Canadian Championship and Final Team Selection in St. Hyacinthe, Que., Seehra fell on points 17-11 to Manitoba's Brad Kotona in the 60-kilogram elite men's class.
Bob Pegues, Seehra's Prince George coach at the Inner City Boxing Club, said when he learned of the final result in La Belle Province the mood in his P.G. home suddenly turned dark. The loss sets Seehra back in his quest to eventually qualify for the national A team and make the 2016 Summer Olympic Games boxing team.
Kotona earned his place in the title bout with Seehra after edging the defending Canadian Champion silver-medalist Josh O'Reilly of Ontario in the semifinal 16-14.
The loss in the final overshadowed Seehra's dominant performance in the semifinal Wednesday when he beat Maple Ridge's Dylan Bishop 19-11.
Pegues termed it "a very decisive win."
Seehra was forced to compete in the final team selection event after settling for the bronze medal in January at the 2012 Elite National Championship in Nova Scotia. O'Reilly beat the Prince George fighter in January.
The 22 year old earned a position on the national B team in 2011 after surprising everyone by capturing the silver medal at the Elite National Championship.
Seehra's teammate Kenny Lally will head to Montreal on March 9 and 10 to train with the USA National Team in preparation for the Continental Olympic Qualifier in Rio de Janerio from May 1 to 13.
