All the hard work has been done –
and now the fighting can start. Cayman’s best amateur boxers are in Tampa this
weekend to be matched against the Hurricane Boxing Club.
After months of exhaustive training
at the D. Dalmain Ebanks gym, 11 boxers – including two women – are making the
trip hoping to make an impression which could eventually lead to Olympic glory
and professional careers. Coached by Nayon ‘Donie’ Anglin and his assistant
Norman Wilson, the boxers have been fine tuning this week for the mega-show
Hurricane is putting on, involving around 20 bouts.
Coach Troy O’Neil and top pro
Charles ‘The Killa’ Whittaker are also making the trip with boxing association
president Tommy Ebanks. In search of a victory if they can be matched are
Jessica McFarlane-Richards, Tracey Seymour, Erick McField, Gino ‘Crusher’
Brown, Tafari Ebanks, Dwayne Anglin-Folkes, Dariel Ebanks, Kendall Ebanks,
Aaron Powell, Peter ‘Lightning’ Lewison and Jason Parchment.
Wilson is pleased with the
progress. “Everybody is improving,” he said. “This is going to be a great opportunity
to see where they are really at. We’ve been running them like there’s no
tomorrow because we don’t just want to go there for the ride, we want to make a
great impression.”
It’s not just the amateurs who
enjoy the gym facilities Monday to Friday. Schoolchildren are coached in the
rudiments from 3.30pm, and adults – women as well as men – use it from 5pm
until it closes at 8pm. Also, the ‘white collar’ boxers, office types (mostly
lawyers and bankers) who enjoy the training, once a year organise bouts between
themselves. The next white collar show is on 3 December.
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