Ben Holme

ARGO Boxing Club have fought back from being made homeless last summer to produce eight champions this season.

The Drumchapel club were unexpectedly evicted from St Mark’s Church, where the club had been based for over a decade, in August due to health and safety concerns – just as the new season was getting underway.

However the club, which was set-up in 1973, were able to overcome the potentially disastrous set back by re-establishing themselves at the aptly named Phoenix Centre.

The Gold medallists produced by the club this season include an Open national champion at all age categories, with Elite Featherweight Champion Peter Paton, younger brother Patrick Paton, who won the Boxing Scotland Youth 60kg Gold medal, Kenzie Moir winning the Junior 60kg title and Gregor Hall being victorious in the Schools 2008 50kg category.

Argo Head Coach Eddie Wilkie said: “For a wee club like the Argo Boxing Club to come from a deprived area like Drumchapel, the success it’s achieved is amazing, especially when we’ve not got our own gym.

“We entered boys into recent championships, and we came away with eight gold medals and two silver medals.

“I’m just dead proud of them all. I’m so proud of the hard work the boys put in and the success they’ve all achieved.

“I love seeing the boys growing and getting more confident, getting a bit of structure into their lives, becoming positive adults.

“I think it’s a lifeline for them. It stops them from getting into trouble, it gives them a bit of discipline, and it gives them a purpose.

“In Drumchapel, there’s not really much for them to do, so that’s their main focus and I think that’s why they do so well, and it gets them connected with other like-minded youths that want to better themselves. They love it.”

In the past few weeks the club have had three boxers represent Scotland – with Peter Paton boxing at the GB Elite Championships in Cardiff, Patrick Paton winning a Bronze medal at the Gergely Bornemissza Boxing Tournament in Hungary and Gregor Hall also winning a Bronze medal at the GB Schools Championships in Dundee.

Eddie said: “It’s massive achievements – especially coming from the area they do and to be representing their country.”

BYRON Boxing Club have launched a new community ‘Street Boxing’ project in Aberdeen.

Over the last few weeks, the Northfield based club have been taking the sport on the road to some of the most deprived areas of Aberdeen, offering free boxing sessions to those aged 8-18.

The club received sponsorship to help purchase a trailer and equipment, which has allowed them to create a mobile outdoor boxing gym.

Coach Kevin Kerr said the project, which will run throughout the summer and hopefully beyond, will help allow youngsters across the city to get involved in the sport, as well as helping to reduce crime and anti-social behaviour.

“We currently have kids from Torry, Tillydrone and Seaton coming to the gym, but it is very hard with buses after school etc for them to come, so we thought we take the boxing club to them,” Kevin explained.

“The initial uptake has been really good. Two or three had previously done boxing, but basically apart from that they have all been beginners, which is good to see.

“Boxing reduces antisocial behaviour in the communities. Generally, when the boxing is on at our gym in Northfield, we find that that reduces the crime in the area that night.

“So we have reached out to these low-income areas and hopefully we can try and spread some positivity through the city.

“Tulloch Recruitment and Team Recruitment sponsored the trailer, and we have also been given funding by Northsound Cash For Kids, who bought the equipment. We have also tied in with TESCO in Woodend, who have donated fruit to the participants.

“We are also planning to deliver three boxing camps with local partners we are tying up with, scattered across this summer.”

The plan with the pioneering project is also to develop new volunteer boxing coaches, with interested young people aged 16-22 going through the process to become a registered Boxing Scotland coach.

“We are glad to be working alongside Boxing Scotland and trying to develop young people to make them better human beings, and with better social skills in the community,” Kevin added.

The Byron Street Boxing Project is being held on alternative Friday’s at the Tillydrone Community Campus, in association with the Lighthouse, and Seaton Community Church 4-6pm, as well as on Tuesday’s 6-7:30pm at the city’s Cruyff Courts, alternating between Catherine Street in central Aberdeen and in Torry, in association with Street Sport and the Denis Law Legacy Trust.

#BoxingForAll #BuildingStrongCommunities

BOXING Scotland CEO Chris Roberts would like to congratulate Jim Smith (Rob Roy), John McKenna (Keir Hardie) and Paul O’Connor (Renfrewshire) for their recent success in achieving the IBA 1-Star International Referee and Judge qualification.

The trio of Western District Officials successfully met the qualification standards at the Haringey Box Cup at the Alexandra Palace in London last week.

The qualification means that the Scottish Officials now have the opportunity to officiate at the international level, in addition to district and national level.

Officials are fundamentally important to our sport, and quite simply boxing would not be able to operate in Scotland without these volunteers giving up their time week in and week out.

If you would like to find out more information about how to become an Official, please get in touch with your relevant District secretary (contact details below).

You do not need to be linked to a boxing club, know anyone in the sport or have had any prior involvement with boxing to become involved as an Official.

For those already involved in the sport, such as existing club coaches, you are also welcome to learn how to become an Official.

Members can now register for both roles, although they can only fulfil one role at any particular club show or Championship.

Contact details;

West District – secretary@westerndistrictboxing.org.uk

East District – EDSecretary@outlook.com

North District – normanwatt@sky.com

BOXING Scotland Performance Director and Joint National Coach Craig McEvoy says the Scottish squad for the Commonwealth Games are exactly where he wants them to be as they conclude a sparring camp in Spain.

The eight selected boxers for this summer’s Games, as well as a few other members of the Elite Boxing Group, have been training in Madrid in sweltering conditions of up to 40 Degrees Celsius, as the build up to Birmingham heats up.

The Scottish boxers have racked up more than two dozen rounds of sparring each with the Spanish national team, who just finished second in the EUBC European Men’s Boxing Championships medal table with five medals last month.

“We are in the final day of the Spain camp, which is basically sparring camp number one of three in the final lead up to the Games since the team was selected,” explained Craig.

“It has ticked every box required.

“The camp has encompassed individual physical training plans, as well as track sessions, general boxing sessions and sparring sessions.

“Today is our final sparring session, technical and tactical, which was sparring session number five.

“Each boxer on average will have had 24/25 rounds of sparring, which has been a mixture of technical, tactical and open.

“We are exactly where we want to be and we are on track.

“It has been extremely hot conditions, especially in the first part of the camp when it was up to 40C at times.

“That just adds to the stimulus as well.

“It has been a great camp and the facilities are second to none here in Spain, everything is on site and it has delivered exactly what we wanted.”

Team Scotland Boxing Squad for 2022 Commonwealth Games (July 28^th – August 7^th);

51kg Flyweight – Lennon Mulligan

54kg Bantamweight – Matthew McHale

60kg Lightweight – Megan Reid

63.5kg Light Welterweight – Reese Lynch

67kg Welterweight – Tyler Jolly

71kg Light-Middleweight – Stephen Newns

75kg Middleweight – Sam Hickey

80kg Light-Heavyweight – Sean Lazzerini

TEAM Scotland finished the GB Schools Three Nations Championships with five Gold medals, after another entertaining day of boxing in Dundee.

Four Scottish boxers became GB champion on Day Two of the competition, to add to the 90kg Gold already won by Insch’s Kian Tennant.

Keir Hardie’s Kai Meechan (35.5kg), Southside’s Zain Iqbal (42kg), O’Neils Jacob Naismith (46kg) and Sparta’s Thomas O’Reilly (52kg) all won Gold against opposition from England and Wales.

The Schools results equal the success from last weekend’s GB Championships in Barnsley, where five Gold medals were won by Team Scotland in both the Junior and Youth categories.

In total, Scotland claimed 18 GB Gold medals this season, with three Elite GB Champions also crowned earlier this year in Cardiff.

Scotland finished this weekend’s GB Schools competition with 5 Gold medals, 7 Silver medals and 13 Bronze medals.

A big congratulations to all of the boxers, coaches and clubs for the hard work they have put in over the 2021/22 season.

A big thank you also must go to all of the officials from this weekend, including those who travelled up from England and Wales.

GB Schools Three Nations Championships – Day Two Finals Results;

Male Schools 34kg Final – Aaron Freils (SCO) lost to Alfie Taylor Satchell (ENG) by split decision.

Male Schools 35.5kg Final – Anthony Greg (WAL) lost to Kai Meechan (SCO) by RSC.

Male Schools 37kg Final – Willlander Ordinando (WAL) lost to Jake Preston (ENG) by ABD.

Male Schools 38.5kg Final – Kayden Wallace (WAL) defeated Tate Chekenya (SCO) by split decision.

Male Schools 40kg Final – George Francis (ENG) beat Rubin Clarkson (SCO) by unanimous decision.

Male Schools 42kg Final – Levi Thomas (WAL) lost to Zain Iqbal (SCO) by split decision.

Male Schools 44kg Final – Aaron Sarwar (SCO) lost to Troy Hayer (WAL) by unanimous decision.

Male Schools 46kg Final – Jacob Naismith (SCO) beat Ashton Fox Price (WAL) by split decision.

Female Schools 48kg Final – Skye Taylor (WAL) lost to Daisy May Constable (ENG) by unanimous decision.

Male Schools 48kg Final – Connor Carroll (SCO) lost to Noah Barney Smith (ENG) by split decision.

Male Schools 50kg Final – Sonny Gow (SCO) lost to Hayden Young (ENG) by split decision.

Male Schools 52kg Final – Tom Connors (ENG) lost to Thomas O’Reilly (SCO) by split decision.

Female Schools 54kg Final – Maicey Brown (ENG) beat Rosie Swailes (SCO) by unanimous decision.

Male Schools 54kg Final – Isaac Huczman (ENG) beat Sam McCann (WAL) by split decision.

Female Schools 57kg Final – Riana Doforo (ENG) beat Mary Theresa O’Brien (WAL) by unanimous decision.

Male Schools 57kg Final – John Hodgkins (ENG) beat Billy Tom Janes (WAL) by split decision.

Male Schools 60kg Final – Alfie James (WAL) lost to Anthony McCarthy (ENG) by ABD.

ELEVEN Scottish boxers will go for Gold on the final day of the GB School Three Nations Championships today.

There will be 17 Finals in total at the Regional Performance Centre for Sport in Dundee, with Team Scotland contesting 11 of them against English and Welsh opposition.

The boxers will be looking to follow Insch’s Kian Tennant, who claimed the first Gold of the competition in the 90kg category on Day One.

Tickets can be purchased at the venue for £20, with doors opening from 11am.

The action will also be live-streamed on the ‘Boxing Scotland Official’ YouTube channel, in conjunction with JATV. The link for the stream will be published later this morning.

GB Schools Three Nations Championships – Day Two Finals (Boxing starts 11:30am);

Male Schools 34kg Final – Aaron Freils (SCO) v Alfie Taylor Satchell (ENG)

Male Schools 35.5kg Final – Anthony Greg (WAL) v Kai Meechan (SCO)

Male Schools 37kg Final – Willlander Ordinando (WAL) v Jake Preston (ENG)

Male Schools 38.5kg Final – Kayden Wallace (WAL) v Tate Chekenya (SCO)

Male Schools 40kg Final – George Francis (ENG) v Rubin Clarkson (SCO)

Male Schools 42kg Final – Levi Thomas (WAL) v Zain Iqbal (SCO)

Male Schools 44kg Final – Aaron Sarwar (SCO) v Troy Hayer (WAL)

Male Schools 46kg Final – Jacob Naismith (SCO) v Ashton Fox Price (WAL)

Female Schools 48kg Final – Skye Taylor (WAL) v Daisy May Constable (ENG)

Male Schools 48kg Final – Connor Carroll (SCO) v Noah Barney Smith (ENG)

Male Schools 50kg Final – Sonny Gow (SCO) v Hayden Young (ENG)

Male Schools 52kg Final – Tom Connors (ENG) v Thomas O’Reilly (SCO)

Female Schools 54kg Final – Maicey Brown (ENG) v Rosie Swailes (SCO)

Male Schools 54kg Final – Isaac Huczman (ENG) v Sam McCann (WAL)

Female Schools 57kg Final – Riana Doforo (ENG) v Mary Theresa O’Brien (WAL)

Male Schools 57kg Final – John Hodgkins (ENG) v Billy Tom Janes (WAL)

Male Schools 60kg Final – Alfie James (WAL) v Anthony McCarthy (ENG)