Courageous athletes, bruising competition, passionate spectators, raw emotions, enduring sportsmanship… few sports reflect the spirit of the Canada Winter Games as thoroughly as boxing. Five days of intense competition come to a climax on Day 15 when the medal bouts take place at FH Collins Secondary School.

Traditional powerhouses Ontario and Quebec have dominated the points competition so far and will be well-represented in the medal round, but the semi-finals also produced several notable upsets.

One fighter generating a lot of buzz is Newfoundland’s mponda Kalunga-loksa. Born in Egypt, Kalunga-loksa was forced into a refugee camp in Tanzania where he spent six long years before finally making his way to Canada’s east coast. After upsetting Nova Scotia’s Brody Robert Blair in a tight match on Wednesday, Kalunga-loksa will fight for the Gold in the 60-64 kg weight class.

Spectators continue to fill the boxing venue each night, and some of the most enthusiastic voices in the stands belong to those fighters who were previously eliminated – a true testament to the sportsmanship and spirit of these young athletes.