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11/07/2007

SABA no longer affiliated

Leftover from the early 1960s, the Schools Amateur Boxing Association was finally brought to an end by an ABA of England boxing council meeting (11 annually elected members of ABAE clubs) on 24th June, 2007. This decision was taken to provide a single system of delivery of amateur boxing for schools and education outlets.

Schools boxing as a national entity in its own right effectively came to an end 5 years ago, but the Schools Amateur Boxing Association stayed in existence by continuing to organise the national schools amateur boxing championships, which had in effect become a junior ABA competition, only differing in that the age group of boxers was based on the school year, as opposed to the calendar year. 

The boxers and officials involved in the SABA championships were all registered members of the ABAE - the sole governing body for amateur boxing in England which, in fact, founded the modern sport of amateur boxing in 1880.

For the past three years alternative school-age championships have been staged by the ABA of England under the name Golden Gloves, but based on the calendar year rather than the school year of birth. This is in line with AIBA, the world governing body's competition structure.

Since taking over full day to day control of offering boxing to schools, mainly as a non-contact sport, the ABAE have met with remarkable success. The launch of the ABAE Whole Sport Plan some two years ago initiated the appointment of nine full-time development officers based in all the major cities of the country and funded in unique partnership with the local authorities concerned. These full-time officers now form the core of the ABAE development commission, which now focuses upon school-age boxing and activity.

The work of the development officers, aligned with the energy and drive of the Amateur Boxing Association of England's registered clubs, has made rapid strides following a club-school audit over the last two years, during which the ABAE has propagated schools activity through the development officers and regions. We now have three schools who in the last 6 months, without any input from SABA towards these projects, have now directly affiliated to the ABAE.

This audit identified school-club links, with over 300 relationships around the country. These links will be further expanded by the launch of a new schools associate membership scheme and recreational boxing membership schemes and awards across England. The new awards schemes are specifically built to engage with schools and education facilities by offering structured lesson and activity programmes. The launch of these new membership categories and schemes will take place on the 27^th July at the forthcoming Commonwealth ABA Championships.

The ABAE are proud to also announce that for the first time ever, a European Schools Boxing Championship, featuring 48 nations from across Europe is due to take place from the 30^th August 2007 to 8^th September 2007 (inclusive of arrival and departure days)

This magnificent event, which was inaugurally staged last year by the Ukraine, has come about through a partnership between ABAE, Royal Navy and Royal Marines, as well as Portsmouth City Council and Portsmouth University.

The growth of amateur boxing without SABA has been exemplary. The Whole Sport Plan identified specific strategic targets and outcomes, and the last 18 months - via the most contemporary database in British Sport - has seen the membership base raised from just over 7000 (2005) to over 14000 members - an increase of 100%. There has also been a massive increase in the number of amateur boxing clubs, from 619 to over 740 - signalling an increase of roughly 18%.

The ABAE would like to recognise previous SABA members who have given support to the sport of amateur boxing and its clubs. Namely father George Saintsbury, Lesley Silver, Brian Latham and Eddie Blow, all of whom stoically worked on behalf of SABA with the ABA of England.