Historically, boxers have to overcome more obstacles in normal day life than actually in the ring and that is true for Charles ‘The Killa’ Whittaker. He has become a world class fighter despite many personal setbacks, chronic lack of funding for most of his career and often having to fight in far flung places in front of hostile crowds because it is too expensive and impractical to put on shows in Cayman.
The West Bay fighter is one of a handful of elite professional athletes paid by the government to dedicate themselves full-time to reaching their potential. Cydonie Mothersill is another and after years of toil, injury and disappointment, she demonstrated that their faith was not misguided with the 200 metres gold medal win at the Commonwealth Games last month.
Whittaker may be 36 but in boxing terms he is relatively fresh and if he can secure the fights, could reach the pinnacle as a world champ in the twilight of his career. Without government backing, which only started when Alden McLaughlin – who was sports minister at the time – introduced funding for Cayman’s elite sportsmen and women around five years ago, Whittaker may have hung up his gloves by now. Cydonie too may never had got gold.
The difference between winning and losing at the top level is minute. One punch can change the course of a fighter’s career. Whittaker is so dedicated that when his trainer Norman Wilson moved from Florida to live in the Philippines four years ago, Killa followed him there to train. It takes two days and five flights. Conditions are spartan, but Killa loves it. The partnership has worked. Killa is unbeaten since 2004 and has only lost once in 21 bouts in nine years. His reputation goes before him as one of the light-middleweight’s toughest exponents who should be avoided at all costs, which is why he has trouble getting matched. Whittaker is coaching the next generation of champs at the state-of-the-art D. Dalmain Ebanks gym at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex so is giving back and inspiring a whole raft of potential world class fighters. Some of those youngsters have already turned their lives around, steering away from the social ills tempting every society’s youth. It is far more expensive for a government to house inmates than to fund a boxing programme. Cayman is blessed with a champion who passes on not just boxing tips but life skills and how to follow the right path.
Wilson is on a one-year government contract to bolster the boxing programme with head coach Donie Anglin. The investment is working. The Cayman boxing team was in Tampa on 20 November, their fifth opportunity to fight this year. Whittaker only had five amateur bouts in as many years.
Sporting excellence not just lifts spirits of every successful country, the economy gets a boost too. Governments covet hosting the Olympics and football World Cup for that reason.
Funding Whittaker on a modest stipend is worth every penny.
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