SPORTS BRIEFS

Boxers qualify for Pan Am

Two Jamaican boxers, light heavyweight Jovan Young and middleweight Reece Shagourie, qualified for the Pan American Games, which will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico, in October.

They did so at the third and final qualifier, which was held in Panama from July 1-8.

Both boxers, who are based in London, performed well. Young secured the silver medal in his weight class, and Shagourie picked up the bronze medal.

Young was fortunate to draw a bye into the semi-finals, but faced stiff opposition from Osmar Bravo from Nicaragua. He won on points, 13-10, then faced Jose Soto from Puerto Rico, who defeated him 16-6 in the finals.

Shagourie won his first bout against Elmer Salguero from Guatemala 7-4 and then got into the semi-finals with an impressive 27-10 victory over Mathias Marino from Uruguay. He then lost to the eventual gold medallist, Junior Castillo, from the Dominican Republic 11-3.

Essien faces six months out

LONDON (AP):

Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien is set to be out for six months after injuring his knee in pre-season training last week.

Chelsea said yesterday that Essien underwent surgery "to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus".

The Premier League club adds that "the surgery was successful and Michael's full recovery could take up to six months".

Chelsea's Premier League season begins on August 14 at Stoke.

The 28-year-old Essien was out for six months in 2010 because of an injury to the same left knee, ruling him out of Ghana's World Cup campaign. He previously injured his anterior cruciate in September 2008, ruling him out until the following March.