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07/08/2008
Tri nations team manager's report
24th - 27th July 2008
Training camp 30th May - 18th - 20th July 2008
Saturday 19th July
Arrived at the Salisbury ABC gym in Liverpool. All boxers were present except Charlie Edwards, Jonny Saunders, James Kelly and Henry Thomas who were at the GB selection camp in Sheffield. At the conclusion of the session the team was transported to the accommodation, where I was able to sort out the expenses, this was followed a meal. This was followed by a training session at the gym and a visit to see the 'Tall Ships' pageant on the Mersey.
Thursday 24th July 2008
All boxers arrived at Cardiff on time and were allocated their respective rooms. At 6pm a check weigh-in and a meeting took place. A brief overview was the outlined to them of the event. Dinner was taken at 6-7pm.
At 7.30 a light training session took place for those boxers that were a little too close to their maximum weight allowance. A further meeting and weigh-in took place at 9pm. All the boxers were within their respective weight allowance. Team captains were nominated for both teams.
1993 team - John Coyle captain with Joe Cooke as vice captain.
1992 team - Jonny Saunders as captain and George Veness as vice captain.
At 9.30 there was a meeting for team managers, coaches and referees and judges.
Friday 25th July 2008
All the boxers were woken at 6.30am and were present for the weigh-in and medical between 7-7.3am. This was followed by breakfast at 8am.
At 9.30 we had a team meeting where all the boxers were present whilst referee John Hart re-iterated the rules in preparation for their bouts. short walk was taken after breakfast, to get a bit of fresh air, and the draw was completed at the NIAC at 11am. hilst the draw was in progress we were informed by Carl Pessticio, there was unfortunately no opponent for Eli Matthews. Following a light lunch the boxers were issued their strips for competition and photographs.
Friday 25th July 2008 Semi - Finals
1993 boxers
42kg M McGurk (S) V Luqmaan Patel (E)
The long range punching of Lugmaan kept the very game Welsh representative away. As the bout went on Lugmaan found the target with precision punches, in amongst the barrage of punches from the boxer. The bout was awarded to Lugmaan by 13-8 points
48kg Joe Cooke (E) V L Flemming (W)
Joe came up against a very strong boxer who could throw punches from all angles. Joe tried throughout the whole bout to keep his opponent away, but the relentless punches of the Welsh boxer were too much at times. The bout finished with Joe losing 19 - 7 BRONZE
50kg Henry Thomas - Pearson (E) V P Stokes (W)
In the first round Henry boxed absolutely perfectly, not getting caught by anything the Welsh boxer threw. Henry was switching throughout the bout connecting on his opponent's head and body. Due to Henry's non-stop efforts the Welsh corner threw in the towel after 40 seconds of the second.
54kg P Waite (W) V Gerry Walsh (E)
Gerry boxed a very cagey bout against his Welsh counterpart. The first and second rounds saw Gerry taking control and in the third round he eased off the pace allowing his opponent to score 4 points. The bout ended with Gerry winning 6-4 on points.
57kg Damon Jones (E) V Kyle Jones (W)
Damon boxed a very clever bout, scoring with long left hands throughout. His shorter stockier opponent could not get close enough to Damon without being hit. Damon was never in any trouble. He won the bout by a point score of 20-3.
60kg John Coyle (E) V P Lima (W)
In the first round John didn't seem to get into his stride, and at the end of the first round he was 3 points down. Following the advice of his corner John came out and applied constant pressure on his opponent, who was trying to find a hiding place in the small ring. In the third round the Welsh boxer was warned for holding onto John's arms in a bid to stop him hitting him. John caught the Welsh boxer with a good range of punches earning him a 10-7 points victory.
63kg C Halfpenny (W) V Wayne Ingram (E)
This bout saw Wayne stand toe to toe with his opponent for the first round. Wayne had the higher work rate, which he took into the second round, where he pressed forward, but stood just out of the reach of the Welsh boxer and came in fast on attack, scoring well. This was the way the third round went, which included a superb left hand uppercut that sent his opponent crashing to the floor. Wayne won the bout 13-2.
70kg Eric Wharton (E) V N Thorley (W)
Eric, a late replacement, started the bout well, winning the first round 7-3. In the second round he appeared to ease off of the pace allowing the tall rangy Welsh opponent to claw back some of the points. In the third the Welsh boxer again came onto Eric, but the Englishman managed to thwart most of the Welshman's punches to earn an 8-7 points win.
At 5pm there was a break from boxing, during this time there was an evening meal served for the team. At 7.30pm the boxing recommenced.
1992 boxers
48kg Craig Johnson (E) V M Jamieson (S)
The first round was a very even affair, with both boxers scoring well with straight punches. As the bout went on the Scottish boxer began to take control of the bout, however he didn't have it all his own way - Craig made him work for his 18-8 points victory BRONZE
50kg T Jones (W) V Jake Beer (E)
Jake boxed very cleverly from the outset, using his speed and variation of shots to outwit his Welsh opponent. This was the same for the second round, however he appeared to tire towards the end of the bout allowing his opponent to equal his points lead and win on the count back 23-19 BRONZE
54kg L Fowler (W) V Brett Beadon (E)
Brett started the bout relaxed and confident, which stayed with him throughout. He picked off the Welsh boxer with ease, using a variation of combinations and angles to frustrate his opponent. The accuracy of his shots was second to none, winning him the bout 13-3 on points.
57kg T Hoar (W) V Shafiq Asif (E)
Both boxers gave a great work rate in this bout Shafiq managing to cover up well when the Welsh boxer threw his barrage of punches. Shafiq was very selective with his shots, which came from all ranges, angles and either hand. This was a solid performance by Shafiq winning the bout 15-7.
60kg L Hartshon (W) V Louis Adolphe (E)
Louis had to be strong against his Welsh opponent who tried to dominate the bout. Louis stood strong and powered his jab into the face of the on-coming Welsh boxer. This frustrated the Welsh boxer throughout. In the end Louis outclassed his opponent with a good display of boxing winning the bout 10-9.
63kg James Kelly (E) V T Kelly (E)
James was a pleasure to watch, his punches were coming from all angles with both hands. Adding into this switching from orthodox to southpaw with ease leaving his opponent totally bewildered. An absolute class display of boxing winning the bout 19-4.
66kg Jonny Saunders (E) V L. Fisher (W)
Captain Jonny gave his opponent no chance to settle into the bout. Within 25 seconds the Welsh opponent was taking a count from a left - right combination. Jonny cut the ring off every way he could as he stalked the Welsh boxer, before he launched his two-hand offensive to body and head. In the last 10 seconds of the first round the Welsh corner were looking for the towel. Before they got a chance to throw it in, the bell went for the end of the round. However at the start of round two, the Welsh boxer was retired by the corner before a punch was thrown.
70kg Lerrone Richards (E) V D.Carey (W)
Lerrone had a very relaxed start to the bout, which continued into the second round, although he was in front, he appeared to be boxing at about 75%. The third round however was totally different he came out with purpose, imposing his power and speed at range with pin-point accuracy, leaving his opponent no chance of getting back into it. Lerrone won the bout 14-1.
75kg Edmund Duaku (E) V N Nicholls (W)
The final bout of the session saw Edmond against a Welsh boxer who tried to take control of the bout. Edmond kept him at length with straight shots, as the round went on Edmond worked the body with strong hooks. In the second round Edmond took control keeping the Welsh boxer on the ropes for most of the round. In the third round the Welsh corner retired their boxer, as there appeared to be no way of him getting back into the bout.
Following the boxing we made our way back to the accommodation where the boxers retired to their rooms, and I had a debrief with the coaches to see if we needed to change anything for the finals, where potentially we could get 20 gold medals.
Saturday 26th July 2008 Finals
All the team were woken up at 7.30am in order to see the doctor at 8am. Following the doctor the team sat down to breakfast.
At 9.30am we had a team meeting where we explained the running of the events of the day, the boxers were then taken for a stroll to the shops before relaxing in their respective rooms ready for the afternoon boxing. The spirit of the team seemed very high, and this was matched by their behaviour.
1993 boxers
42kg Luqmaan Patel (E) V Adam Lovell (W)
First up for England was Luqmaan, he boxed with full confidence from the out set, controlling the centre of the ring with ease. His punches were so varied and clinical in their delivery, the Welsh boxer could not get a look-in. In the second round following a standing count for the Welsh boxer, the whistle went to signify a stoppage on the 15-point rule. GOLD
44kg Nikki Cain (S) V Charlie Edwards (E)
Charlie came up against a Scot and both boxers started well. However, halfway through the first round you could see Charlie was beginning to take control. In the second Charlie was not far from also claiming a 15 point rule stoppage; the smarter more accurate punches were Charlie's to both the head and body of his opponent. At the end of the bout Charlie had won by 20points to 4. GOLD
46kg Myles Cousins (E) V Kyle Morrison (W)
This was Myles's first bout of the tournament. He impressed straight away, with a good scoring left- right combination to the head of the Welsh boxer. So much so that the bout was stopped in the first round by a 15-point rule stoppage. GOLD
50kg Charlie Flynn (S) V Henry Thomas - Pearson (E)
This bout seemed to be the one the crowd were waiting for. Both boxers were forward, pressure fighters. They stood toe-to-toe for most of the competition. Henry began to pick off his opponent with clear well-timed shots, in the first round Henry caught the Scot with a left-right combination, which the referee awarded a standing count for. The all-action bout continued into the second round, where following some good phase work from Henry the whistle went for the stoppage under the15-point ruling. Another good performance from Henry. GOLD
52kg Bradley Jones (W) V John McDonagh (E)
John's southpaw stance was causing some problems for the Welsh boxer early on, once John got into his flow, he relaxed and caught his opponent with some cracking two hand combinations to both body and head of his opponent. When his opponent came rushing in John was able to counter well with scoring shots. John won the bout on points by 9-0. GOLD
54kg Gerry Walsh (E) V Mitch Buckland (W)
Gerry came up against a talented southpaw boxer. Initially the Welsh boxer countered well with his lead hand hook, and although Gerry found the opponent easy to hit with straight shots, he himself was getting caught to often on the way in. In the last round Gerry poured on the pressure, however it wasn't enough to claw back the Welsh boxers lead. It was a good performance by Gerry SILVER
57kg Luke Evans (W) V Damon Jones (E)
Damon started the bout well, boxing off of his back foot. The Welsh boxer was a pressure fighter who wanted to dominate the bout. In the first two rounds Damon, who was under constant pressure, performed well at range. In the last round Damon tired allowing this opponent to get back into the bout, but he'd already done enough to win the bout 9-7. GOLD
60kg Jerome Samuels (W) V John Coyle (E)
Team captain John Coyle came up against a very tall rangy Welsh boxer who wanted to keep John at arms length. It took John a while to get through the guard of the Welsh boxer, however when he did he worked the body and head of his opponent. In the second round he began to switch-hit which gave him some success and caused the opponent to re-think his plan. In the last round John stuck with him like glue, applying a lot of pressure which earned him a 9-4 victory, a very good Captain's performance. GOLD
63kg Wayne Ingram (E) V Mark Docherty (S)
This bout was another crowd pleaser. From the outset both boxers tried to unload heavy punches, with Wayne having to get inside the opponent's reach in order to land good shots. In the second round Wayne stalked the Scottish boxer, cutting off the ring in a bid to land his shots. The second round ended even, and Wayne having it all to do changed his style in order to score scoring shots from distance, winning the bout 11-7. Another good performance from Wayne. GOLD
66kg Eli Matthews (E) Walkover - GOLD
70kg McCawley Evans (W) V Eric Wharton (E)
Eric was up against a southpaw Welsh boxer who scored well in the beginning of each round. Eric stayed with it and in the latter part of each round he pushed forward, driving his opponent onto the ropes. Both boxers landed with some telling blows to both the head and body of each other. The last round was Eric's best he applied pressure throughout the round and was unlucky to lose the bout 16-13. SILVER
1992 Boxers
66kg Daniel Thomas (W) V Jonny Saunders (E)
Team captain Jonny Saunders started the bout in a confident style, selecting his punches well as he worked the body and head of the Welsh opponent, a strong upright boxer. As the bout went on Jonny began to find the target with some outstanding combinations. This display had the crowd on their feet as the two boxers exchanged blows. Jonny won the bout 16-9, giving a talented captain's performance. GOLD
46kg George Veness (E) V Sohail Saleemi (W)
This was George's first bout of the competition. The first round was a good match of similar styles, though George had the better of the exchanges, catching the Welsh boxer with some straight punch combinations. In addition to the straight punching George also had good success with his lead hand uppercut, totally outclassing his opponent throughout, winning the bout 27-6. GOLD
52kg Callum Pearson (E) V Ben Holloway (W)
Like George Veness this was Callum's first bout of the competition. Again this was a match where both boxers had similar styles. Callum boxed well, scoring well with the right hand over the top. Both boxers were scoring well with combinations. The match ended in an 8-8 points draw, which on the count back the Welsh boxer took it 16-15. This was a good solid performance by Callum, which could have gone either way. SILVER
54kg Brett Beadon (E) V Mano Lee (W)
From the outset the Welsh boxer ran across the ring throwing a barrage of punches at Brett in a bid to unsettle him. This had the desired effect briefly, until Brett took control with some good long range punching. At the start of the second Brett returned the favour by dashing to the middle of the ring and landed a long backhand uppercut to the chin of his opponent, enabling him to take control of the ring. Brett kept the Welsh boxer at range earning him a 12-7 points win. GOLD
57kg Shafiq Asif (E) V Richard Needham (W)
Shafiq came out strong, with a tight guard against a very strong opponent. Shafiq was very selective with his punches, which were both accurate and clinical in their delivery. As the bout went on Shafiq grew in confidence and threw some lovely combinations to both body and head. In the third round Shafiq was in total control scoring well with a left hook followed by a straight right and visa versa. Shafiq won the bout 19-6 giving a superb performance. GOLD
60kg Louis Adolphe (E) V Conor McCallum (S)
Louis started the bout well scoring with single shots, his opponent appeared a lot more relaxed than Louis, which showed in his delivery of punches. Louis appeared not to get into his stride. As the bout went on the Scot countered with ease, often frustrating the chasing Louis. In the last round the Scot moved around the ring, keeping away from the pressing Louis. The Scot won the bout 14-4. SILVER
63kg James Kelly (E) WALKOVER (opponent failing the medical) -GOLD
70kg Josh Barnes (S) V Lerrone Richards (E)
This bout started in a chaotic way, with both boxers trying to impose their authority on the other. After a short period Lerrone settled down to a well-balanced stance picking off his opponent at range. In the second round Lerrone began to put some nice accurate combinations together, as the Scot began to tire, Lerrone caught him with some superb backhand shots as he came in. The last round saw both boxers warned for infringements. The bout ended with Lerrone winning 20 points to 6. GOLD
75kg Liam Williams (W) V Edmond Duaku (E)
Local hero Liam started the bout with a strong crowd support. This did not phase the tall rangy Edmond. However the rushing in of the Welsh boxer caught Edmond off guard a couple of times. Once Edmond found his feet and settled into his boxing he was able to pick off the Welsh opponent at range. The second and third rounds saw Edmond score well with left/right straight combinations, on the odd occasion being caught by the Welsh boxer when he got in close. The result went in the favour of the Welsh boxer by 8 points to 6. SILVER
Medal table
15 Gold
5 Silver
3 Bronze
Event Information
The information running up to and during the events was of a good standard, which was easy to understand and adhere to, which is a credit to the Welsh ABA.
Accomodation and food
The accommodation and food was of a very good standard, which was also enhanced by very helpful and pleasant staff. Nothing was ever too much for them anytime of the day or evening.
Weigh-in
The weigh-in was conducted on the first day, with all sides present at each team's weigh-in.
Venue
The first boxing venue was a sports academy, which was clean and tidy and had adequate changing rooms. The facilities were good with a large area in which to warm each boxer up in preparation for their bout and viewing.
General
The competition was a great success. All three teams were respectful throughout and the boxing was of a very high standard, with all teams of boxers learning from the competition.
Credit must go to all three coaches, who worked well together and earned the respect of the team with a professional approach and encouragement throughout.
The team's behaviour was good, and they all appeared to get on within the team and with the other nation's team members.
The officials played a good part in not just the refereeing/judging but also as part of the team. This showed on the computer feedback at the end of each session with all three earning the higher standard percentages of accuracy and performance.
Team Manager
Cliff Perkins
Coaches
John Lyon
Darren Maher
George Burton
Officials
John Hart
Bob Pulley
Ian Jury