The Tribune

By JADE RUSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

KING Charles III burst out laughing yesterday when he was handed a T-shirt showing him as a boxing champion, complete with crown, gloves and title belt, during a visit to the Bahamas Boxing Academy.

Before being handed the shirt, the king stopped to speak with children as he entered the academy and watched young boxers sparring in front of a host of dignitaries, including Prime Minister Philip ‘Brave’ Davis, US Ambassador Herschel Walker, Sports Minister Mario Bowleg and academy founder Nick Maughan, who was awarded a CBE by the king last year for services to philanthropy.

The king seemed in no rush, spending time chatting with many of the youngsters at the event, including the two sparring partners, Mario Goddard and Shantao Fernander, both 19, who said they had not expected to meet him personally and were pleasantly surprised.

They said he asked about their passion for the sport, and that the encounter encouraged them to keep chasing their ambitions as The Bahamas works to raise the profile of boxing internationally.

Before leaving, the king and the prime minister unveiled a commemorative plaque to mark the royal visit.

The world-class facility, designed to empower young athletes and provide critical support to young people, was funded by Maughan after he was approached by the prime minister about opening an outlet for local youngsters.

The academy trains boys and girls, aged eight to 18. It is based at the Thomas A Robinson National Stadium Sports Centre in Nassau. It aims to develop young boxers through professional training and mentorship, and plans to offer nutritional guidance, academic help, mental health services and life skills training, as well as hosting national and regional competitions.

It has also drawn on international expertise, including from Rick Ogden, co-founder of BoxWise UK, a non-profit that uses boxing to promote social mobility in underserved communities.

Said Maughan: “Today our young people met their king at the Boxing Academy. It was a great honour to welcome His Majesty. These young people train here, study here and share so much together every day, guided by coaches who once boxed for the country. His Majesty took the time to see that for himself and we are incredibly grateful.”

The shirt that made the king laugh was designed by Jermaine Gibson, vice-president of the Bahamas World Boxing Federation. It shows a cartoon of the king with a crown, gloves and a championship belt, with the Bahamian flag worked into the design.

“I hope you like it,” Mr Gibson was heard telling the king as he handed it over. British reporters travelling with the King said he pointed at the shirts, laughed and replied: “How generous.”

Mr Gibson told The Tribune the visit was something the children would never forget, and that the academy had brought in a team of boxers from Grand Bahama to share in it.

“This has been a long day coming. We’ve been battling for so long to get the eyes on boxing, you know what I mean. And with this, the world is going to see what the Bahamas is doing, and that’s one of the major things that we want,” he said.

The king also had a private meeting with youngsters from the Ranfurly Homes for Children. Since 1959, the home has provided a safe, structured home for hundreds of Bahamian children who have been orphaned, abused, neglected or abandoned. It is the only private, non-affiliated children’s home in The Bahamas and is one of the largest.