She was eulogised as an angel, a true Caribbean woman and most of all a gift from God. These tributes brought tears to the hundreds who gathered at St Benedict's Roman Catholic Church, La Romaine, to bid farewell to boxing queen Jizelle Salandy. There was only standing room. Her manager Buxo Potts said, "She was a true angel, a true gift from God and a true Caribbean woman. "She was the most decorated fighter of all times, male or female...To me, she was the greatest fighter in the world," he said.
"She wanted to do so much things with so little time. It is amazing to believe she could have accomplished so much in such a short space of time with so many hurdles."
Describing the holder of eight titles as the female Muhammad Ali, Potts said Salandy was a simple person who wanted to give back to the community and who felt she could have united the world with her smile and touch. Reflecting on her charitable work, he recalled that on December 31, when everyone was out celebrating, she was in Tamarind Square, Port-of-Spain, attending to the homeless. "On her birthday, she would keep prayers and thanks giving rather than keep a party like the average youth," Potts said. An offering was taken up for Salandy's favourite charity–the St Jude's Home for Girls. He said she loved her family and everything she did was for them. "One thing about Jizelle Salandy, she never engaged in gossip or slander...She would always look on the positive side, no matter what bad things people had to say," Potts said.
He said he was privileged to have worked with such a special and unique person. Sports Minister Gary Hunt brought greetings on behalf of the Government. He said God chose boxing as the way for Salandy to serve her people, her nation and shine her light for the good of all. Hunt led a team of government officials, including Culture Minister Marlene Mc Donald, Parliamentary Secretary Junia Regrello, Legal Affairs Minister Peter Taylor, Ambassador Joan Yuille-Williams and San Fernando mayor Ken Ferguson. Opposition parliamentarians Jack Warner and Winston "Gypsy" Peters were also present, as well as sporting administrators. Hunt said Salandy was blessed with many gifts, spiritual as well as physical, and was a source of inspiration and an example for the youths of the nation.
He called on the congregation to "rejoice and celebrate the life of this unique angel who came among us for a brief but brilliant period in our sporting history. "Let us ensure that her legacy is preserved for generations to come and inspire us to become just like Jizelle, the best we can be," Hunt said. Salandy was laid to rest in the grave where her mother was buried more than a decade ago at La Pastora Cemetery, Siparia. At the cemetery, boxing fans screamed and surged towards the casket to catch a final glimpse of this remarkable sportswoman who had touched their lives.