National team spar in Northern clubs
Welsh Boxing enjoyed a productive trip north last week, as the national squad, national coaches and organisational staff made the most of the Northern Division’s hospitality.
Boxers from the Elite Programme and National Development Programme travelled North for a training camp. Head of Performance Adam Park said: “It is hugely important for us to be an inclusive programme. The Northern Division have produced some fantastic boxers over the years, this was demonstrated as recently as Jake Dodd winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games last year. We are fully aware of the sacrifices boxers from the Northern Division make to attend our camps in the National Boxing Centre in Cardiff. We want all boxers in Wales to know their geographical location will have no impact on their ability to compete for Wales. It was important for us, as a programme, to go out and be visible to the boxers in the North of the country. The coaching staff and I would like to say a massive thank you to all the clubs that came to spar with the programme boxers. A special thank you must go to Dan Andrews at Rhyl Youth ABC for allowing us to train at their facility and to Darryl Jones, the Northern Division’s lead coach, for organising the sparring.”
On the community front, newly-appointed Head of Community Boxing, Gareth Evans, managed to fit in several club visits and explore several facility options as Welsh Boxing look to expand their events calendar and deliver more outside of Cardiff. “It was a really productive visit and great to put some faces to the names and voices I have spoken to over the phone since joining the organisation. It’s important to get a feel for the wider landscape. National Governing Bodies are all based in the south and there’s this perception that if you’re out of sight, you’re out of mind. That’s certainly not the case here and we look forward to working closely with the clubs in the North to help grow interest in the sport.
“In all, visits were held with Clwyd ABC, Rhyl Youth ABC, Maelor ABC and Buckley ABC, as well as meeting and chatting with some of the R&Js and coaches from other clubs. There was also an opportunity to meet face-to-face with some key personnel from local councils as we look to engage other partners to deliver boxing across the communities and, hopefully, see those engaged in these programmes link to the clubs already active. Welsh Boxing are also very keen to explore the viability of hosting events outside of Cardiff and making them more accessible for the wider membership. If we continue to hold events in the South, those in the North and West are disadvantaged, we have to explore these opportunities, and hosting events in each of the divisions is something which will drive more local opportunities for local boxers to compete, as well as give an incentive for local volunteers to get more involved in coaching and officiating, so we need to explore what we can and cannot do, and work with each of the divisions in this space.”
Welsh Boxing will return North on 11th and 12th September to meet the clubs at St. Asaph.