Cayman Islands Boxing Association development manager Liam Brereton will not be returning to Cayman until early 2022 due to the current COVID-19 restrictions, according to CIBA.
Brereton is in Ireland running an eight-week training camp with Caymanian amateur boxers Brandy Barnes and Hepseba Angel.
However, locally CIBA has cancelled almost all their programmes, with a boxing official telling the Cayman Compass that the “new regulations imposed on gyms are having an awful impact on our business,” adding, “with no exceptions for kids mean that we can’t even let our youth programmes work out inside the gym”.
Due to these circumstances, CIBA stated that “it is really pointless” for Brereton’s return to Cayman and that it would be “more beneficial” for him to focus on Barnes and Angel in Ireland where “the restrictions are nowhere near as onerous.”
“Coach Brereton remains a staunch supporter of the Cayman Islands Boxing Association, and both females will be returning to Irish camp after the Christmas break,” the official said.
CIBA is one of several sport associations that have fallen victim to restrictions. Athletics, basketball, netball, swimming, football, cricket, volleyball, rugby and squash have all adopted policies to adhere to the regulations; some have had to postpone or cancel competitions.
According to CIBA, a local fight night that was scheduled this month was scrapped along with other events.
“We can’t legally train for that event, so we had to cancel,” CIBA stated. “We had an event planned for November [that has been] pushed back to next year by the planning committee now, too. So, literally we can’t even set local plans because the goalposts are constantly changing.”
However, CIBA emphasised that their grassroots programmes have been most affected due to children under 12, who are unable to take the vaccine, not allowed to train indoors.
“We could continue to train those who can’t be vaccinated but when it rains, the tent floods, so we have to cancel, and what youth want [is] to come to boxing training [but] they can’t do pads, they can’t spar, they can’t even punch a bag [because] they aren’t allowed inside.”
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