Narine going the distance

A TWIST of fate caused a loss to athletics and a tremendous gain for boxing when Geta Narine switched sports to be on the brink of representing Barbados in the AIBA Women’s Boxing World Championships at the Garfield Sobers Sports Complex from September 9 to 19.During a track meet training session three years ago, the former St James Secondary student was under the weather and she was reprimanded by her coach for underperforming at the National Stadium.  “I got upset and I wandered off to cool my head when I was approached by this guy who asked me if I wanted to join boxing. It was only when I looked up I realised that there were a number of boxers training in this area at the Stadium,” Narine said.“I said no way as I was thinking about my body and my face which I did not want anyone to be bruising,” added the 18-year-old pugilist.  However, the persistence of the guy saw Narine giving it a try for two days after which she was hooked, albeit without the knowledge of her mother, who was still paying for her daughter to attend track.“When my mother found out that I was boxing she was not very happy and my father was even more angry,” Narine said.“However, they eventually realised that I was keen about the sport and I was able to convince my older sister to pick up the sport.”That older sister, Maliza, 25, who is a member of the Barbados Defence Force, will also be appearing at the international event representing Barbados in the welterweight division.  Geta, who is a member of the BDF Sports Programme, will be fighting in the 57 kgs featherweight.Geta said that boxing had given her a channel for her aggression and she has developed a greater relationship with her younger siblings who use every chance to go in her gear bag to take out her gloves and challenge her with the words, “Come leh we beat up that head!”Stressing that the stepped up training was very taxing, Geta felt that the results would pay off when the bell goes for the first round next month.