GB Squad Spar at SYSA, Gleadless

The GB squad have recently been sparring at the South Yorkshire Sports Academy in Gleadless. This is in preparation for the first European qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The qualifier takes place at the end Feb/early March in Pescara, Italy, and the Sheffield sparring was just what the lads needed according to GB Coach, Terry Edwards. Great Britain already has four qualifiers for the Olympics, a tremendous improvement on the 2004 games, and hopefully the Pescara and Athens (late-March) tournaments will provide more for what is already a tremendous year for British amateur boxing.

2007 English Universities Championships

Contenders from England's boxing universities took part in the English Universities Boxing Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from Friday 7 to Sunday 9 December 2007. Special mention goes to Perry Cook and Mizengo Sikombe of Sheffield Hallam University and Woodseats ABC, who both put in very creditable performances and will be back next year.

Representatives from this championship will now compete in the British Universities Boxing Championship, also in Sheffield, in March 2008, as part of the BUSA British Universities Championships, which will include more than twenty sports.

The results were as follows:

Friday 7th December

3 x 2 mins Novice

64 T. Hughes outpd R. Sreckumar (Prelim)

64 F. Kelly outpd L. Usher (Prelim)

64 M. Qasim outpd P. Cook (Prelim)

64 E. Fowler outpd A. Ramakrishnalal (Prelim)

69 D. Jenkins outpd J. Croft (Prelim)

69 S. Garman Rsc(2) L. Jeffrey (Prelim)

86 A. Korolev outpd B. Simpson (Quarter)

91+ F. Nortey Rsc (1) J. Thomas (Quarter)

81 S. Leith outpd S. Easter (Quarter)

81 M. Hubber outpd E. Adjogatse (Quarter)

81 P. Grennel outpd F. Wardlow (Quarter)

75 L. Brown outpd J. Evans (Quarter)

75 G. Bowkett outpd K. Rhazaoui (Quarter)

75 L. Cutler outpd T. Dee (Quarter)

64 J. Cuddy outpd J. Woodward (Quarter)

64 B. Ogweno bt S. Soni RSC2 (Quarter)

64 F. Kelly outpd T. Hughes (Quarter)

64 E. Fowler outpd M. Qasim (Quarter)

69 R. Hammond bt M. Khan RSC (3)(Quarter)

69 C. Baugh outpd D. Hyman (Quarter)

69 J. Nugent outpd W. Mallaby (Quarter)

69 S. Garman bt D. Jenkins RSC (2) (Quarter)

Saturday 8th December

4 x 2 mins Open

64 T. Langford outpd L. Horgan (Semi)

64 J. Cosgrove outpd F. Brown (Semi)

75 D. Torku bt D. Hickey RSC2 (Semi)

3 x 2 mins Female Novice

54 B. Lee outpd D. Tappitake (Final)

3 x 2 mins Novice

54 A. Massally bt J. Dorne RSC3 (Final)

57 J. Connor bt S. Mistry RSC2 (Final)

60 A. Keshvala outpd T. Gout (Final)

4 x 2 mins Open

64 T. Langford outpd J. Cosgrove (Final)

75 P. Benson outpd D. Torku (Final)

69 L. Ellett outpd A. Burton (Final)

Sunday 9th December

4 x 2 mins Open

60 N. Rafique outpd C. Gaynor (Final)

3 x 2 mins Novice

64 J. Cuddy bt B. Ogweno RSC (2)(Semi)

64 F. Kelly outpd E. Fowler (Semi)

69 C. Baugh outpd R. Hammond (Semi)

69 J. Nugent outpd S. Garmon (Semi)

75 G. Bowkett outpd L. Brown (Semi)

75 L. Cutler outpd R. Gray (Semi)

81 E. Ahonsi outpd S. Leith (Semi)

81 P. Grennel outpd M. Hubber (Semi)

86 P. Baldwin bt H. Amin RSC (Semi)

86 A. Korolev outpd T. Davies (Semi)

91+ M. Sikombe bt S. Maxwell KO1 (Semi)

91+ F. Nortey bt C. Reichart RSC (Semi)

64 J. Cuddy bt F. Kelly RSC (Final)

69 J. Nugent outpd C. Baugh (Final)

75 G. Bowkett outpd L. Cutler (Final)

81 E. Ahonsi outpd P. Grennel (Final)

86 P. Baldwin outpd A. Korolev (Final)

91+ F. Nortey outpd M. Sikombe (Final)

English Universities Champions 2007

Female Novice

54 B. Lee

Male Novice

48 S. Popatt

54 A. Massally

57 J. Connor

60 A. Keshvala

64 J. Cuddy

69 J. Nugent

75 G. Bowkett

81 E. Ahonsi

91+ F. Nortey

Male Open

60 N. Rafique

64 T. Langford

69 L. Ellett

75 P. Benson

Core Fitness and Health

Congratulations to Mark Brine (393 Club - CYP) and Jamie Kennedy (Millenium ABC) on all the great work they've done promoting the sport in South Yorkshire Schools under the "Core Fitness and Health" banner. By engaging hundreds of pupils in this fantastic activity they've shown, not that we ever doubted it (!), that amateur boxing has a place in the school curriculum. Tim Cook, Head of PE at Firth Park School has been full of praise for the positive impact boxing has had on the 42 pupils at his school.

Keep up the good work into 2008!

Paul Porter
Sheffield Boxing Development Officer

CONGRATULATIONS!!

Congratulations to all involved in the Step into Sport boxing pilot, especially Natalie Coleman, Brendan Warburton and Tony Burke, on helping Woodseats ABC to win the prestigious Amateur Boxing Association of England School Project of the Year trophy. It's been a great experience so far, and with Abbeydale Grange and Fir Vale ready to be more involved in the New Year, as well as the primary schools, there's lots more value to be had from this project over the coming months.

The award was presented at the inaugural ABAE Awards Evening at the Mercure Hotel, Sheffield, which was attended by the former Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn, and boxing greats such as Amir Khan, Barry McGuigan, Nicky Piper and Herol 'Bomber' Graham.

Thank you all for your hard work, and special thanks to Anne Homyer and Michael Nyarko of Sport England, without whom none of this would be happening.

Best wishes for the festive season.

Paul Porter
Sheffield Boxing Development Officer

Upcoming show

Amateur and professional boxing links

I've seperated out the amateur and pro links on the right hand side of the page, but left Boxing News in with the amateurs as it's the 'trade paper'.

I'll try to add more links, and am developing a new overall website at www.sheffieldboxing.co.uk which will try to encompass all the blogs and websites relevant to boxing in this city, as well as the ABA of England, European ABA and International ABA (it might take a while to complete, but I think this will be the only city with such a comprehensive website. If anyone has any boxing websites they'd like to add (not including 'Foxy Boxing" 'Dwarf Boxing' or any other 'specialist' sites!!!) let me know about them on 0114 223 5642.

Best wishes,

Paul

World Championships in Chicago

New season just starting and the biggest international event of the year is already upon us. Check out how the Great Britain boxers do, and whether any of them qualify for the Olympics in Beijing next year, at www.worldboxingchicago.org

Welcome to Burngreave ABC

Burngreave ABC is the newest ABAE-affiliated amateur boxing club in Sheffield (subject to approval by the Regional Secretary). The gym on Earshaw Street, Burngreave, is operated by Phil Wood, formerly of Sheffield Boxing Centre ABC, and further details can be found by clicking the link on the right of this page, or by copying and pasting www.burngreaveabc.blogspot.com into your browser.

Junior ABA Finals

The following Sheffield boxers are in the Junior ABA finals on Saturday (5th May) at Crystal Palace:

Tyrone Nurse (Parsons Cross ABC) v Ronnie Heffron (Boarshaw) @ 60kg Class 5 (Born 1991)

Steve Barnes (Manor ABC) v Tierney Shinkwin (Bushey) @ 60kg Class 4 (Born 1991)

Lewis Taylor (Steel City ABC) v Mark Nugent (West Ham) @ 70kg Class 5 (Born 1990)

This is a fantastic achievement in a competition which is every bit as difficult as the seniors to win.

The ABAE National Junior Finals take place on May 5th at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre in London, with a mammoth 36 finals taking place.

Doors open at 12.45pm and boxing commences at 1pm.

Tickets are available on the door at £15 (adults), £5 (children & OAPs). Ringside tickets are £20 and must be booked through the ABA London office (07971 058 218)

Parking is available for £3.

Videos

Thanks for all the positive feedback regarding the videos on this site. I've got lots more to upload and will do so as soon as I have time.

Paul