NEVER take your eyes off these boxers.
Superbly trained by Scott Bindloss and Brad Anderson at the Corner Inlet Boxing Club these young fighters are not to be taken for granted.
Training for his first fight as an open novice, twenty-six-year-old Luke Ollington can often be seen pounding the streets of Leongatha or running laps around local ovals.
Leongatha young gun Asha Olden also has the keen eye of a talented boxer along with Julian Lanagreer.
The stand-out fourteen-year-olds regularly glove up for training sessions with fifteen-year-old Edward Demness in the Corner Inlet Boxing Club gym.
School-age bouts are limited to three, one-and-a-half rounds, juniors a maximum of three, two-minute rounds, and youths or open elite fighters three, two-minute rounds, or three, three-minute rounds.
A novice fighter has up to five fights under their belt, intermediate fighters five to eleven bouts and elite fighters a minimum of twelve fights.
Training as a boxer comes with a lot of hard work.
“First join a registered boxing club,” recommends Brad Anderson from the Corner Inlet Boxing Club in Leongatha and Foster.
“All boxing careers begin in a boxing gym.”
A high level of fitness is essential with weight training, cardio, skip-rope work, speed bag, heavy bag, running and regular sparring sessions all part of a successful fighter’s training kit.
Boxing Victoria has responsibility for amateur boxing in Victoria including the training and accreditation of amateur boxing coaches, judges, and referees, registration of boxers, coaches, and officials and the enforcement of strict safety standards.
Regular local tournaments are held throughout Victoria creating a pathway to the Olympic and Commonwealth games through Boxing Australia.
The annual Corner Inlet Boxing Club tournament will be held at the Leongatha Memorial Hall on November 10 with sixteen to twenty bouts of three rounds, set to start from midday.
Reagan Lewis will be the main event before he makes his debut as a pro in December.
Julian Lanagreer will be having his third fight, and Gabe Saulwick his second bout.
Proudly sponsored by SportsPower, South Gippsland Concrete, South Gippsland Radiology and Engage Wealth Solutions, the Corner Inlet Boxing Club annual tournament will open its doors at 11am.
Adult, child and family tickets are all available at the door.
For more information on amateur boxing go to Boxing Australia at boxing.org.au or follow the Corner Inlet Boxing Club on Facebook.