Gairy St Clair Granted Australian Citizenship

[Gairy St Clair]

http://www.theleader.com.au/2007/04/62_ ... w_titl.php

Citizen's fight for new title
April 5, 2007 5:29 PM

SUTHERLAND Shire Council yesterday came to the rescue of former world champion boxer and shire resident Gairy St Clair.
For the past few years St Clair, the Guyanan-born fighter and former sparring partner of Kostya Tszyu, had wanted to become an Australian citizen.
He was scheduled to take citizenship at the council's May ceremony but trainer Johnny Lewis made an urgent appeal to have a special citizenship ceremony brought forward, because his boxer is due to fight again in a few weeks.
These exceptions are very rarely granted, but the Mayor, David Redmond, agreed to host the ceremony yesterday, with Johnny Lewis alongside.
''We just advised that as long as his paperwork was in order, the council was willing to help out,'' Redmond said.
St Clair, a father of five who grew up in the slums of Guyana, improved his world standing after coming to Australia seven years ago as one of Tszyu's sparring partners.
He later returned to Australia permanently, living in both Sydney and in Perth, before moving to Sutherland and working for Losh Matthews' Strong Arm Gym in Caringbah.
Last year he won the IBF world junior lightweight title (130lb), but the same year lost it to Malcolm Klassen, in South Africa, in November.
St Clair stunned his friends recently when he told them gaining citizenship was ''more important'' than winning a world title.

''Now, hopefully, I can do both,'' he said with a big smile after the ceremony was completed.
Johnny Lewis said: ''Gairy is committed to reclaiming his world title and I believe he can.

''We'll have a warm-up fight and then, hopefully, go to the US for a world-title elimination fight.''
And, hopefully, a new world title belt for a new Aussie citizen.

Little Aussie battler: Guayanan-born Gairy St Clair receives his citizenship from Sutherland Shire Mayor David Redmond, watched by trainer Johnny Lewis. Picture: Chris Lane

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