Boxing board supports Montego Bay gym with a twist

THE JAMAICA Boxing Board is supporting the activities of the Top Level Gym in Montego Bay after seeing the holistic approach it has taken to the sport.

The gym is run in association with the St Christopher’s Nursing, Electrical and Engineering Academy in the heart of Montego Bay on Jarrett Street.

The gym started late last year with professional boxer Germaine Bowen as lead coach. Bowen is assisted by female boxer Jasmine Graham.

The gym caters to the students of the academy and the Montego Bay community at large. The bulk of trainees are females, studying nursing at the academy. Several of them spoke about the benefits of learning the sport and some are considering becoming professional boxers.

JBB president, Stephen ‘Bomber’ Jones, endorses what the gym seeks to achieve, and his organisation has chipped in with boxing equipment, such as gloves and punching bags and intends to give them a boxing ring in the near future. The equipment was provided by the International Boxing Association (AIBA).

“Every time I come [to the gym], I am more blown away than before,” said Jones, pointing out that the gym mixed much of the ideals of personal development with boxing.

“We usually lead from the boxing side and then get to the personal development. What you guys have here with the languages, the nursing programme, and the electrical engineering is just a complete dream for the boxing board, not just for myself, because it puts us way ahead of the game,” said Jones.

The JBB president also voiced his pleasure with the number of women in the programme.

Dr Lola Cunningham, principal of the academy, spearheaded the introduction of the gym as part of the offering at the facility because of the positive impact it had on her daughter, who coaches there.

The Top Level Boxing Gym also has the endorsement of the St James Municipal Corporation.