Local fighter tipped to make it big

(CNS): One young local boxer could be looking at a career in the sport after his great performance at the weekend battling it out against a more experienced opponent from Cuba, when the Cayman Islands Boxing Association hosted the Dalmain Ebanks Champions Invitational boxing extravaganza at Pedro St James on Saturday. The final bout of the evening involved Cayman’s young star Tafari Ebanks against Norlan Yera Diaz, a world champion boxer. Ebanks demonstrated real courage and skill, received cuts and bruises in the process, but fought to the end and beat his more experienced opponent on a points decision, catching the eye of Cuba’s boxing coach.

Professor Jesus Dominguez, who is also here to review the Cayman Islands Boxing programme, is a Cuban boxing legend, a famed boxing technical instructor and chief adviser to AIBA. He said that he had been watching Ebanks for some time.

“At the rate that that young man is improving, he will be one of the greatest Olympic Champions the world will ever see,” he declared after the bout Saturday night.

Professor Dominguez is also in Cayman to provide an audit of CIBA’s training programme and assist in its development towards the next Olympic Games. The next competition for the Cayman national team will be the World Championships hosted by AIBA in October in Kazakhstan. The Cuban team has also stayed to take part in the training with the local team until they depart on Thursday.

Coming from a country known for their boxing prowess, the visitors helped to put on a great boxing event at the weekend, which began with two bouts from the Extended After School boxing programme.

12-year-olds Finn Millward and Callum Smith demonstrated the skills and determination that they have learned through participating in the programme, with Millward getting the better of Smith after two rounds.

Then Bruce Lee Coulson fought Shawn Rankine, both from Cayman, with Coulson winning on points. The third bout involved two Cuban heavyweights, Emmanuel Reyes Platt and national champion Frank Sanchez. Reyes started faster, but Sanchez paced himself better to win on points.

Light-welterweight, Cuba’s multi-medaled Luis Oliva Gener showed why he is one of the world’s best in his division with a points victory over Cayman’s Kendall Ebanks, who pressed throughout the bout but just lacked that little extra to beat a more experienced opponent.

Cuban boxing has a long and rich history and is globally renowned for the quality of their amateur boxing programme. Organizers said it was an honor for four of their top fighters to display their skills here but they were equally pleased with the performance of the local young fighters.

“We are so proud of the event and how far our fighters have come,” said a spokesperson for the CIBA. ”To be able to hold their own against world-class Olympic boxers really demonstrates just how much progress they have made in the last eighteen months. We are also honoured to host the Cuban boxing delegation, who are very excited to be on island and have demonstrated great enthusiasm for the beauty of Cayman.”

Members of the Boxing Association took the Cubans to Cayman Cabana after the bout for a taste of Cayman-style dinner and dancing, as well as a trip to Stingray City on Sunday, which Frank Sanchez said was the best time he ever had in his life.

The Cayman Islands Boxing Association thanked everyone who came out to watch the event and everyone who assisted with the event and our sponsors, who made the event possible. Long-term sponsors are the Ministryof Sports, Dart Foundation, Cayman Airways and Paramount Media. Event sponsors were Elite Marble and Granite, Scott Security, Cayman Cabana and One Tree Four Five.