Time To Get Excited About Amateur Boxing!

I’ll be heading to Kazakhstan for the World Amateur Boxing Championships later this month, and to say I am buzzing about the trip is an understatement.

It’s a real transitional time for amateur boxing at the moment, as the fighters will be without head guards for the first time since they were introduced in 1984.

It’s something that will take me some getting used to, but the GB boxers are bang up for it.

I was up at the squad’s media day in Sheffield recently and each one, to a man, felt the change would make the sport better. They believed the ability to see the shots coming more clearly together with the freedom of movement losing the head guard offers would see the quality of boxing improve.

Some went even further. A number of the GB squad have been involved in World Series Boxing, where they compete without head guards or vests. They point to the experience gained there as being the factor that will give them the edge over their opponents, who will be fighting competitively without protection for the first time in Kazakhstan.

It will be very interesting to see if those predictions do come good. One thing for sure however, is if the GB squad put in performances like they did in Belarus for the European Amateur Boxing Championships – where they won a gold and two bronze medals – it will make for a cracking week!

If you only watch amateur boxing during the Olympics, can I urge you to dip your toe back in again for these championships. GB boxing have some exciting talents in their ranks, including Andrew Selby, the world number one and double European champion. The Welsh boxer is a joy to watch – quick and skillful.

Gone are the likes of Anthony Joshua, Luke Campbell and Anthony Agogo – that was Team London 2012 – now it’s all about Generation Rio 2016. And trust me, if you jump on board and follow their journey to the next Olympics now, you’ll enjoy your viewing so much more come the big show.

WELL DONE DEFOE

A couple of months back I wrote about going to St Lucia with Spurs and England striker Jermain Defoe. Well, since then he’s held a very successful gala dinner that raised thousands for vulnerable children on the island, through his charitable foundation. Well done to Jermain and his family for giving back!