news wales
17/10/2005
With a strong possibility that women boxers will feature when the Olympic Games come to London in seven years time, the Welsh Amateur Boxing Union (WABA), in partnership with Sports Council Wales, is turning its attention to the formation of a women’s squad to take on the best in the world.
So far restricted to the club circuit, a team of women are preparing to enter the ring for what will be only the second Welsh national squad session for women.
On the back of a highly successful first squad session which saw 12 women box clever to much praise from the Welsh National Coach, there now follows a second session at the Welsh Institute of Sport on 22-23 October. With more women signed up to attend the impending session, the boxing union is hopeful of drawing more women and taking the sport to the next level.
Welsh National Coach Tony Williams commented:
“Although female boxing is thriving throughout clubs in Wales, the squad sessions offer the boxers the opportunity to progress to what we hope will be a new national level. We are looking to develop a squad to stand up against the might of the other leading nations and put ourselves in a position to do well in the future and hold our own on the international stage.”
Bringing the next level that bit closer is promising newcomer Jessie Jones. Despite being involved in the sport for only two years, the Newport flyweight proved her mettle at the first squad session to plaudits from both coaches and competitors.
With her performance fresh in mind, Tony Williams was left in no doubt of his decision to award Jessie the honour of being the first woman to pull on the Welsh vest. Making history, Jessie steps into the ring on 21st October for the inaugural Wales v Finland contest, which pits the newcomer against the country’s female champion.
Having fought in the competitive ring only four times, the tournament will be a tough ask for the 25-year-old, who is a member of St Josephs boxing club in Newport, but with the chance to gain valuable experience, Jessie is relishing the challenge and said:
“It ’s an honour to be representing my country on the international stage and I’ll do everything I can to make Wales proud. It’s going to be a hard match but it’s a great chance to rate myself against an experienced competitor.
“ It’s fantastic that women’s boxing is gaining prominence and I hope that it encourages more to come forward and give it a go. Boxing works all aspects of fitness including strength, speed and agility, and while it’s tough, the benefits are well worth it. It’s a great sport to be involved in and I’m thrilled to be playing a part in taking it forward. ”
Already having made its mark in countries such as Finland, Sweden and Norway, the WABA wants to see the same success in the principality, with the hope of challenging the leading nations in years to come.
A third squad session follows at the Welsh Institute of Sport on December 11-12. Sessions are open to women between the ages of 17-34 and are free to boxing club members.
