GRAND CAYMAN, Cayman Islands – The Cayman Islands Government and the CI Boxing Association are taking aim at youngsters and adults in the District of Bodden Town.

A boxing club opened Monday at the Bodden Town Civic Centre.

“The goal of the programme is to reduce crime among our young people, engage young people in proactive activities, increase their physical activity and address the obesity problem,” said Michael Myles, Ministry of Education Programme Coordinator and Liaison Officer of At Risk Youth. “We also want to engage the Bodden Town community in physical activity and mentoring our youth.”

The youth arm of the club is an after-school programme from 4-6pm Monday through Thursday that is free for students from primary to high school. It is also planned that adult fitness classes will be offered from 6-8pm Monday through Friday at a cost of only $25 a month in the near future.

“Bodden Town is now perhaps the second largest district and the Government is making every effort to address the social challenges of our youngsters in the district being left unsupervised so many hours after school,” Mr. Myles said.

The positive impact by the Ministry of Education’s Extended After School Programme has seen the increase in over 1,400 young people becoming involved in After School Programmes. There is already a similar programme in West Bay and one is being considered for East End.

“We decided to join forces with the Boxing Association in an effort to help our children get fit and help them fight weight gain,” said Health Minister and Bodden Town MLA Osbourne Bodden.

A study last year showed a third of children entering primary school in the Cayman Islands were obese or overweight, according to screenings of new pupils done by the Cayman Islands Public Health Department. Of 530 children, the majority of whom were ages 4 to 6, entering schools in September in 2012, 92, or 17.4 per cent were obese, and 86, or 16 per cent were overweight.

“If we teach our youths, and by extension the adults, how to stay active and fit, they will reap the rewards of good health when they get older,” said Mr. Bodden. “A healthier population also means less of a burden on the healthcare system. It just makes good sense.

“I must take this opportunity to praise the hard work of Michael and Coach Norman Wilson who met with Joel Francis (Senior Policy Advisor for Sport) and me. They were instructed to pursue this, which they have done in a fairly short order. Councillor Alva Suckoo has also had this as a dream for some time and him becoming my Councilor, and his passion for boxing, will ensure that we have continued success as we seek to expand the programme,” Mr. Bodden said.

For more information, call 345-926-0749 or email [email protected].

Youngsters in Bodden Town can now spar at the Civic Centre.