Irish coach takes top job with Cayman Islands Boxing

Top Offaly coach Liam Brereton has been handed the top amateur boxing job in the Cayman Islands‘.

The Cayman Islands’ Boxing Association this morning confirmed the Edenderry man as their Boxing Development Manager.

The CIBA, which was established as recently as 2017, searched the world for someone capable of helping them to continue their recent development and indeed take things to the next level heading into the Paris Olympic cycle.

The Caribbean nation believes the AIBA Three-Star coach and boss at St Brigid’s Edenderry – home of the world famous sparring camp – is the man for the job citing his ability to coach as well as build programmes and develop grassroots structures.

Brereton has been part of Irish underage teams that have won countless international medals over the last decade and early last year he coached the Sierra Leone National Team at the African Olympic Qualifiers.

Now he moves across the Atlantic, making Brereton the latest top Irish coach to expand their horizons following Billy Walsh’s much-publicised move to the USA and Eddie Bolger’s link-up with Germany.

As part of his role, the Irishman will be able to retain coaching duties with St Brigid’s Edenderry and will return home for major camps and tournaments.

If he manages to get a fighter to Paris, Brereton would not be the first man from his immediate family to feature at ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’. His brother, Martin, fought at the 1980 Olympics in Moscow where he went out to eventual bronze medallist Jose Aguilar of Cuba.

The CIBA released the following statement today:

The Cayman Islands’ Boxing Association (CIBA) has this week announced the arrival of new Boxing Development Manager, Liam ‘Morley’ Brereton, from Ireland.

Cayman Islands’ Boxing Association, noted that, it is a community sanctuary catering for all ages, genders and demographics of the community. CIBA is already unrecognizable to how it was even 12 months ago, boasting popular school groups and summer-camps, a plan of evets, bespoke behavioural intervention programmes in collaboration with local schools, adult Boxfitness sessions and a transformed boxing facility.

The expansion plans for the next Olympic cycle required a worldwide search for a Boxing Development Manager with the experience and passion to develop CIBA into a world-class organisation. With Liam’s vast experience of coaching medalists, whilst building development programmes small nations at the same time as grassroots boxing for all, he makes an ideal fit for CIBA.

Liam Brereton, new Boxing Development Manager at the Cayman Islands’ Boxing Association, commented, “CIBA is currently in a period of transition and has already established itself as a community hub for all, throughout the Cayman Islands. I want to develop this even further, to bring the sport of boxing to every man, woman, and child in the community. My small-town club in Ireland became one of the best clubs in the world under my leadership and the female sparring camp that I organized included women from over 27 different countries, from novice to elite world champion. The breadth of people that boxing can touch is something that I want to show the Cayman Islands’ community and to overcome the misconception that boxing is only for elite athletes. Boxing is a sport for all. It builds teamwork, community, and camaraderie. I am delighted to bring my years of experience, and passion for the sport, to the Cayman Islands.”

CIBA was established in 2017 as the national sport association governing and promoting the sport of amateur boxing within the Cayman Islands in a positive way. As such, its remit includes national team development, junior, youth and schools programming, bespoke behavioural intervention programmes for at-risk youth, educational initiatives and development of Caymanian coaches. Over the last four years our numbers have grown significantly and our staffing has expanded to include five young Caymanian coaches who will be developed and internationally certified under Liam. Excitingly, Brereton’s first task will be to develop and establish a programme extendable to Cayman Brac. With that in mind, CIBA will be participating in an exciting multisport event in Cayman Brac during the summer months. Discussions are ongoing with relevant stakeholders to ensure the success of the event and dates will be promoted soon.