As the London Olympics approach numerous Cayman athletes are honing themselves in the hope of somehow qualifying for the Games. Light-heavyweight southpaw Dariel Ebanks is one.
He stands a better chance of most having caught the eye of the boxing governing body for his vast improvement in the last year and has been selected to attend a high performance camp in Wales from this weekend.
Ebanks leaves on Wednesday for the three-week camp in Cardiff and following that goes to the final Olympic qualifiers in Rio de Janeiro in May. The Olympics start on 27 July. Ebanks is grateful to his employers US Link where he works as an administrator for giving him the time off.
Dariel, 22, has been working out solidly since the start of the year. He had a comfortable win in Jamaica last month and feels totally prepared under coaches Donie Anglin and Norman Wilson for the biggest challenge in his five-year career that has reaped 22 wins and only two losses. The defeats were in big tournaments against world class opponents when fighting as a heavyweight and conceding plenty of weight. Ebanks feels he has improved considerably.
He was lucky to get a decision against an Aruban opponent last year at a show at the D Dalmain Ebanks Gym and readily admits not being in shape for that one, but has re-focused since and is well inside the light-heavy limit of 178lbs.
“I’ve been doing plenty of drills, running and working on my cardio,” he says. “I really pleased to be going to this camp. Obviously, the Amateur International Boxing Association has seen what I can do and this trip is recognition for that. My goal is to be the best so I’m totally focused on winning in Brazil and going on to London.
“If I get to London I hope to make it all the way, it all depends on the draw and avoiding the best guys in the early rounds.
Coach Wilson says: “The camp will better prepare for Brazil. He’ll be with 30 or 40 other different guys and can look at their different styles and have an insight if he gets to the Olympics. I think this opportunity is great. He’ll get all the sparring he needs.
“If the politics don’t get in the way his chances are really good. If he can go to the World Games and beat world class opposition, he can do anything. He used to say he felt tired but he’s improved his stamina so we’ll see how that transpires.”
Coach Anglin has seen Dariel’s progress from the early days when he “recognised that he has a mind of his own”. Anglin says: “Dariel is a natural. Give him an instruction and he will partially act to it but he will react in the ring in his own way. He’s a very intelligent fighter. His mind and body is well co-ordinated. I think he will go a long way.”
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