SPORTS

National boxing team gets assist from IOC

National boxing coach Nayon Anglin and Olympic
Solidarity Co-ordinator, Deqa Hussen

National boxing team members (standing L-R), Tracey
Seymour, Ronaldo Garcia, Perry Anglin, Troy Neil,
Marcus Alexander, Dulian Terry and USA Boxing Coach,
Kenneth Cox. (Seated L-R), Coach Nayon Anglin, IOC’s
Deqa Hussen, CI National Olympic Committee
President Jerris Miller, and national boxing team
president, Garth Ebanks

Tuesday, May 4, 2004

The second week of the Boxing Coaches Certification Clinic received a big boost to help the sport of boxing achieve recognition on the Cayman Islands.

Deqa Hussen, Olympic Solidarity Co-ordinator for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Associations of International Boxing Association (AIBA) came to the Cayman Islands to give assistance to USA Boxing Inc’s coach, Dr Kenneth Cox, in conducting the coaching clinic.

AIBA, the international governing body of amateur boxing, and the IOC were responsible for organising the coach’s clinic in Cayman, and would like to see the sport develop here.

“There are some boxers here who have real potential, but the facilities need to be up-dated for these young fighters to have a chance of really competing internationally,” said Ms Hussen.

“We will work closely with national coach Nayon Anglin and the national team in any way possible to help raise their competitive level.

“We have various programmes for development of athletes and coaches and we offer grants of up to three months to train athletes abroad.

“Before we can do any of this, the governing body has to see improvements in the boxing facility and the overall training of the athletes because that is where your quest for the Olympics begins and ends.”

Coach Cox concurs: “Realistically, in order to be ready for the 2008 Olympic games, you have to begin preparations now.

“Without a real boxing facility in place, don’t look at 2008 as a possibility. That’s a shame, because there are a few young fighters here that could’ve really competed for a spot in the next Olympics.”

The new boxing facility is scheduled to break ground at the end of this month, with a possible completion date of November this year.

Until then, they will have to continue using their old gym, and with more boys and girls joining every day, there will be no more room for the fighters or any new equipment.

“The government would really benefit from getting more involved in helping the sport of boxing here in Cayman,” added Ms Hussen.

“With the success of swimming and track and field, both of which will be sending athletes to this year’s Olympics, boxing could be that third sport to help the Cayman Islands become a competitive force internationally and in future Olympics,” she said.

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