Local boxers hoping to smash Gold Coast Games
(L-R) Neandra Forbes Morgan (silver medallist), Brandy Barnes (gold) and Chambria Dalhouse (gold)
(CNS Local Life): Brandy Barnes, who won a gold medal in boxing at the Caribbean Championships in December, will be heading to London next month to prepare for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia. Barnes, who will be sparring with tough competition ahead of the Games, and veteran boxer Dariel Ebanks will attend the Elite Marble and Granite Training Camp for two months before they head to the Gold Coast. Both Barnes and Ebanks were at the camp last year, where Barnes said she was able to focus on becoming a better athlete without the stresses of day-to-day life. This year she hopes to improve even more to compete at her best in April.
“The opportunity gave me the ability to win a gold medal at the Caribbean Championships. Heading into camp this time, I know what my weaknesses are and what I am going to be focusing on,” she said in a release from the Cayman Islands Boxing Association (CIBA), which said the camp is sponsored by Elite Marble and Granite.
Barnes is following in the footsteps of her father, former Cayman Amateur boxer turned Association Board member and Coach, Ernest Barnes, who represented Cayman in the Commonwealth Games in 1994.
“I am so happy that both my son, Sabien, and daughter are part of the programme now and I see the work that they put in and it reminds me of my training days when I was inspired by Mr Dalmain Ebanks,” he said. “Boxing is one of my passions and to be able to pass on what I learned from him to my children and see them representing their country at this level, to see Brandy win an international gold medal… that makes me very proud.”
Also getting the opportunity to attend international training camp for the very first time are 17-year-old boxers Aaron Miller and Keanu McField-Jackson.
Coach Ryan Barrett said, “Elite training camp will be an excellent experience for Aaron and Keanu. They got their first taste on international competition at the Caribbean Championships and they showed that they have the grit and determination to succeed. What they need now is practice and variety of sparring that will help to develop their skills and grow their confidence, the CIBA stated in the release.”
Meanwhile, on National Heroes Day, Monday, the association’s coach Nayon ‘Donie’ Anglin was honoured with an award. He has been active in Cayman sports including, but not limited to, boxing since the 1980’s and he is now achieving recognition for his longstanding commitment.
“This well deserved accolade is a testament to his guidance to the many young people who have passed through the boxing programme over the years,” the association said.
