Sugar Ray Leonard delights Yarmouth gym audience

International superstar, five weight world boxing champion and Olympic gold medallist Sugar Ray Leonard visited Yarmouth's K9 Fight Academy last week after hearing about their growing team of national and international champions.

Sugar Ray took the time to give 35 members of the gym a motivational speech and a brief resume of his life and achievements, and the highs and lows of his life as a superstar amateur and professional world champion.

Sugar Ray took photos of the gym and the K9's 'Wall of Fame' of champions from 1989-2012, and trophy and belt collection, for his website, and said he loved visiting gyms and meeting up-and-coming fighters especially youngsters.

Even when his promoters were saying they were pushed for time to get to the Ocean Rooms Grand Dinner event, Sugar Ray took the time to have his photo taken with all the team, and then took time to have some photos done with ABA National Schoolgirl Boxing Champion, world champion kickboxer, Commonwealth Muay Thai Champion, and the only female from Norfolk ever to win an ABA national title, Jade Munro (15). He also signed a boxing glove with a good luck message on it for her.

Sugar Ray later tweeted Jade and said: 'You are great, it was lovely to meet you' and when Katie and Dave Munro tweeted him to thank him for finding time to come to the gym and talk to the kids, he tweeted back: 'It was my pleasure and I love meeting future champions.'

Club coaches Dave Munro and John Hutchens would like to thank local businessman, promoter and K9 assistant coach Leon Docwra for organising the gym visit (the only gym Sugar Ray Leonard has visited on his two-week UK Dinner tour). Coach Munro said: 'Sugar Ray, thanks to Leon, made these kids so happy with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet, talk to and be photographed with a true legend.'

Training at the K9 Fight Academy is every weekday evening and Saturday afternoons, on Estcourt Road.