By RON LANE
FOR the boxing fraternity the holidays are over and now for the next couple of weeks the hard physical grind to get rid of those Christmas kilos has commenced.
Monday evening saw both local amateur boxing clubs, Noosa Box Office (NBO) run by coach and trainer Israel Kani and Impact Boxing Academy at Cooroy run by Mark Evans open their doors for the 2016 season.
For the members of the Impact Academy the start to the season could not have been better. First was the news that Sam Cameron-Hands, the 16-year-old boxer from Cooroy who last year represented Australia at an international tournament in St Petersburg, Russia, has been invited back to Russia to again represent his country.
Then along with this came the really big news. Owner and coach of Impact, Mark Evans has been named Australia’s Head Coach by Boxing Australia, for this major international tournament. Add to this, Mark will also this year, be performing the duties of Queensland Talent Identification Coach; a job which will involve monitoring and working with a team of some 25 selected fighters from all over the state.
“To do this, we will bring the fighters together for three or four camps a year. A big job but necessary,” Mark said.
Last year a major boxing seminar was conducted at Noosaville. Hosted by Israel Kani, Noosa Box Office Boxing Club, it was attended by fighters from all over the state and proved a major success.
This time for Sam Cameron-Hands as a member of a seven-man team he will be taking part in an Invitation International Tournament to be held in the coastal town of Anapa.
Apart from having some 40 kilometres of sandy beaches, Anapa with a population of some 70,000 is renowned throughout as being “the most comfortable family resort in Russia”.
The tournament which runs from 11 to 16 March will be attended by 20 countries.
Not to be outdone, Sam’s young brother Ben is also aiming for a trip to Russia to box in the Junior Olympics to be held in September. But to do so he has to first win the Australian title for his division. This is not beyond his reach as he has won Australian titles previously.
Following this, Russia will again host another major tournament, when in November they will stage the World Youth Championships. To contest this event big brother Sam, who is now in the Youth Division, must first also win the Australian title.
With their dedication to the sport and the total support of parents David and Denise plus good coaching anything is possible for these polite young men.
But it is not only the boys that are the achievers in Cooroy, for the pretty young lady Taylah Robinson has already represented her country in the Philippines, and is definitely one to watch in the future.
Another major factor in not only Impact but also NBO, is the attitude of all those involved. In a sport that is so demanding, a feeling of discipline and friendship is a must – and happy to relate this feeling exists in both clubs. The results that have achieved by both male and female boxers speak for themselves.
NBO coach Kani said: “For the first couple of weeks regarding boxing we concentrate on fitness; then when the body is starting to move better some will start sparring. At present it looks like we will have a team of some 18 fighters and all indications are that this year, we will see tournaments anywhere from Townsville to outer Brisbane. It is going to be a very busy and productive year”.
For Kani, who last year also had fighters travelling overseas to both Germany and China, more success is assured.
Apart from boxing, the NBO also runs large fitness classes. If the size and success of last year’s sessions are any indication, it will be indeed a very busy year for Kani and staff.
After a very successful career in both amateur and professional boxing, Israel Kani is definitely a man whose opinion and methods are also to be respected. The boxing youth in our community are in good hands.
With little or no publicity for amateur boxing in Queensland, athletes and coaches who have achieved honors usually go unnoticed.
But not in our community, for we take pride in our people.
