Deborah Charmers To Lead Charge to Build Jamaica’s Next Boxing Champions from the Ground Up
Jamaica’s next major push toward global sporting excellence might just come from inside the boxing ring. The Jamaica Boxing Board has confirmed an emerging relationship with Deborah Charmers, a British-born, Jamaican-rooted former national champion and elite coach, to lead a long-term grassroots development programme aimed at producing the country’s next generation of ring-ready talent.
Charmers is no stranger to the sweet science. A two-time English national boxing champion, she trained and competed with the highly respected Hooks Boxing Club in the UK, and later transitioned into coaching—leading one of her boxers to a national title as well. But her connection to Jamaica runs far deeper than sport.
“My dad, Lloyd Charmers, was a Jamaican musician who grew up in Trench Town during the 60s,” she explained. “When he passed away while I was still boxing, I lost my fire to compete—but I didn’t want to leave the sport. That’s when I discovered coaching. It felt like my true purpose.”
Charmers now resides in Negril and has been steadily laying the foundation for a national youth programme that will begin with non-contact boxing in schools and eventually evolve into a full technical and sparring pathway through club-based competition.
“I’m here to bring elite-level amateur coaching to Jamaica,” she told SportsMax.TV. “It’s about instilling the fundamentals—technique, discipline, and mindset—from the very beginning. Because once bad habits are formed, they’re hard to unlearn. We’re not just building fighters. We’re building futures.”
For Boxing Board President Stephen “Bomber” Jones, bringing Charmers on board is the culmination of a plan that started nearly a decade ago.
“We sought her out,” Jones said. “She first came to Jamaica years ago and visited Stanley Couch Gym. I watched her working with a few young female boxers—Sharikee Moore was just getting started—and the way Deborah commanded the space, the discipline, the technical delivery, it left a strong impression. We kept in touch. She’s been observing what we’re doing here, and now we’re building something real.”
Charmers’ vision is ambitious but rooted in practical, community-first thinking. She has already begun conversations with school principals in Negril and surrounding areas and is intent on creating safe, accessible spaces for youth development.
“Boxing is often misunderstood,” she said. “Some principals worry it promotes violence, but it’s actually the opposite. It teaches self-discipline, control, and respect. In England, it’s kept countless kids off the streets. I want to bring that same kind of structure here.”
Her programme will focus on children starting at age eight. Initial engagement in schools will be strictly non-contact—focused on movement, fitness, and technique. The next step is channelling interested students into local clubs for deeper development, including sparring and competition.
And Charmers won’t just be working with young boxers—she’ll also play a central role in upgrading coaching standards across the island.
“Boxers are reflections of their coaches,” Jones explained. “So if we want to produce champions, we need to elevate coaching too. Deborah’s experience, her eye for technique, her ability to mentor—those are things we want replicated in Kingston, Montego Bay, wherever there’s interest.”
Her arrival comes at a crucial time for Jamaican boxing. The Jamaica Boxing Board is preparing for its “Road to the Olympics” campaign with backing from World Boxing and the Pan American Confederation, where Jones serves as a board member. According to Jones, Charmers’ work aligns perfectly with regional efforts to use boxing as a tool for empowerment and education.
“She’s already working within the same framework we’re building through the Gloves Over Guns and Our Futures programmes,” Jones said. “PanAm is even considering using our school-based model as a pilot for the rest of the Caribbean. Jamaica is a microcosm—what works here can echo across the region.”
Charmers believes there’s no better place to begin.
“Jamaica is the centre point of raw talent,” she said. “The spirit of the Jamaican people—it’s God-given. You combine that with great coaching, and you have champions. It’s in the DNA. Look at athletics—Jamaica didn’t just get lucky. It was structured, invested in. We can do the same in boxing.”
She added, “Even some of the biggest names in boxing history have Jamaican roots—Frank Bruno, Chris Eubank. They didn’t fight for Jamaica, but the bloodline is undeniable. Jamaica runs everything. And with the right programme, we’ll run boxing too.”
The grassroots initiative is expected to officially launch in September 2025, when Charmers returns from the UK with equipment and completes final preparations. But for her, this isn’t a short-term campaign—it’s a calling.
“I’m not here to pass through,” she said. “I’m here to build something lasting. I believe in Jamaican boxing, and I believe the next champions are already here. They just need the right start.”
