BABA Institutes Competition to Capitalize on Olympic Talent
The British Amateur Boxing Association (BABA) has decided to spice things up by revealing a competition designed to allow the best amateur fighters from Scotland, England and Wales—as determined by their respective Amateur Associations—to compete against members of Great Britain’s prospective Olympic boxing team.
The incentive couldn’t be higher: if a boxer isn't a current member of the GB boxing squad and wins the competition, they will be given an automatic right to join the GB squad. They will also receive national funding, and an opportunity to be selected for the 2012 Olympic Games.
At the Beijing Olympics in 2008, the GB team experienced their most successful run in more than fifty years. Despite that success, the organization has been plagued by infrastructural setbacks, but was recently reorganized by Rob McCracken, a former British middleweight contender.
Specifically, former GB squad head Terry Edwards was dropped, and his replacement, Kevin Hickey, lasted only 8 months with the organization.
Since McCracken’s tenure at the helm, British fighters have secured three silver medals and two bronzes at the European Championships in June. The five medals are the most the country has been awarded in a single competition in 49 years.
By instituting the competition and putting out the challenge to fighters across the British Isles, McCracken hopes to refine the British ranks to hone in on the most skilled fighters.
"This will be a high quality competition that will provide a real test for the existing GB boxers and have an influence on the make-up of the Olympic squad as we move into 2011,” he clarified. “It is an opportunity for all of the competitors to showcase their skills and stake a claim to be part of the team for 2012."
The competition championship will be held at the Echo Arena in Liverpool in November.
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