Sakima Mullings KOs another milestone
Published:Thursday | November 9, 2023 | 12:12 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
HAVING RECENTLY obtained a Master of Science Degree in Sport Business Management from the University of West Indies, Mona, boxer Sakima Mullings is beaming with joy.
According to Mullings, the scholastic journey allowed him to have a great sense of what he wants to do after his chapter in the ring closed.
“It feels good because I deliberately chose to go back to school because I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and going back allowed me to have the time to do new things, find a niche, and choose exactly what I wanted to do in sport after I retire as an athlete,” said Mullings, who has had a burgeoning reputation for training young fighters.
Mullings, the former Caribbean Boxing Federation Welterweight Champion and a two-time winner of the Wray and Nephew Contender Series, highlighted the importance of athletes properly preparing themselves for life after their professional career has ended.
He added that while he hasn’t officially called time on his career, he would only venture back into the boxing ring if the ideal situation presented itself.
“It’s very important because an athlete’s shelf life is very short. So we have to put things in place that will allow us to earn, be financially independent, and be holistic. I’m still holding on because as a boxer, it’s very hard to walk away, and I haven’t officially retired because I’m holding to say that if there’s a fight that makes sense, I’ll take it, but if it doesn’t make sense, then I’ll continue to transition into things like sports business management after my career is completely over,” he explained.
Mullings, well known as ‘Mr Smooth’, who is now associated with the High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) Boxing Gym, is busy sharing knowledge and experience with up and coming fighters. He explained that over time, he has come to the realisation that coaching is an aspect of the sport that comes naturally to him.
“I’m associated with H.I.I.T. Box Gym, and the training has been going well. Young fighters are always looking for advice and seeking knowledge on how they can improve themselves and their abilities. In boxing, if you’re not doing things correctly, you’re going to pay with pain. So naturally, fighters are always asking, ‘Sakima, what am I supposed to do in this situation?’ So it would be a natural progression for me to go into coaching,” he said.
Mullings added that lending his expertise in the area of coaching has been a breath of fresh air as the numbers turning out to the gym are growing.
“Children from all over Kingston, both uptown and downtown, are coming to H.I.I.T. Boxing Gym and are asking to be trained by us because they want real knowledge and answers in terms of what they need to do to improve themselves.”