Canberra Boxing Bulletin - Edition 25, May 2002

Don’t miss the 18 May tournament at ANU uni bar

Saturday 18^th May is our next tournament date. Local and NSW boxers will also be on the programme, making up a very full evening of boxing.  We saw some great new talent at the April show and look forward to more this time.

Tickets for this show are $15 (adult) and $5 (youth/student/concession). Doors open 5.30 for a 6pm start, at the ANU Union (“the uni bar”) in the city. 

The planned international bouts between a Mongolian team and an Australian team are likely to be deferred because of travel changes.  It’s possible that some form of tournament may still occur for these boxers at the AIS in the following week. If so, we will circulate details to everyone for whom we have an email address. Not on our email list? Call us on 6292 1149 and we’ll rectify that.

If you can help promote tournaments (for example by distributing leaflets or posters), call the office on 6292 1149 and we’ll make sure you receive promotional material.

Masters Division boxers are ON from 1 July this year

On 1^st July, Boxing Australia’s new Masters Division comes into effect. It is not yet certain whether all states will introduce the division from that date, but ACT Boxing will definitely be doing so.  NSWABA has reportedly opted to register Masters boxers but will not put them on their tournament programmes; hence NSW masters boxers will have to come to Canberra to compete (as is the case presently with boys under 14). Masters boxers register and compete in exactly the same way as other boxers, except as follows:

a)    A person cannot register as a Masters Division boxer unless he or she has reached thirty-four years of age.

b)    Males or females aged 34 or older may only register as Masters Division boxers.

c)    A Masters boxer may only compete against another Masters boxer.

d)    The age difference between two Masters competitors cannot exceed five years.

e)    Masters bouts shall utilise 12oz gloves for all weight categories. 

f)     Masters bouts are limited to three rounds of two minutes each. 

g)    A bout shall be terminated if a Masters boxer receives two counts in one round or three counts in one bout. A count issued for a foul is not included in this number.

Currently there are no additional medical requirements prescribed, however all boxers over 30 are advised to have an annual opthalmological examination to check for retinal tearing, which is an age-related risk factor.

Amateur versus professional – policy changes

The current international rules for amateur boxing forbid registering anyone who has ever boxed against a professional for a money prize. The international body (AIBA) will have its Congress in October in Cairo, and it is widely expected that there will be some changes to the present strict rule barring professionals. Whilst the exact nature of the proposal is still speculative, it is thought likely that people who have had a limited amount of professional bouts may be allowed to box again as amateurs. Any changes to the rules will be notified in this newsletter and on our website, as soon as they are confirmed by Boxing Australia.

Female boxers – now is the time 

There are a number of women training in Canberra gyms at present. Females in NSW can also register with ACT Boxing and can compete here. If we can get several more female boxers registered and ready for competition soon, we may be able to create a little bit of history here. The number of women competing around the country is still very small, let’s see if we can change that soon, and maybe take our first ACT women to the Nationals next year.

Registration rules for boxers and coaches (ACT/NSW)

The rules for registration of clubs, boxers and coaches can be summarized simply as follows:

This policy eliminates any “border-town” complexities for boxers living near the ACT-NSW border. Forms for registration as a coach or a boxer,  and for club affiliation,  are available from the office or via our internet website http://actboxing.com 

How to qualify as a boxing coach—next course 22-23 June

ACT Boxing will conduct the next basic (level one) boxing coaching course on the weekend 22-23 June. Any adult wishing to get National Coaching Accreditation needs to complete this course and also do a period of supervised practical experience helping with boxing training at clubs and/or at tournaments. Prior practical experience will be recognized.

People whose NCAS accreditation has lapsed can re-accredit by completing the weekend course.  For more details of the L1 course (including fees), contact the ACT Boxing office on 6292 1149. 

Becoming an judge or referee – you can do it!

The next judge/referee training course is on the weekend 13-14 July. There are no fees for this course, which is open to adults of either gender.  Judges require a period of supervised trial scoring before being issued with an ACT Judge badge. With sufficient experience, a judge may then take a referee training course and exam which consists of a test paper and a practical assessment.

Coaches and (adult) boxers are welcome to sit the judge/referee course and to do judging when not competing at a tournament. Doing the course can also be beneficial for boxers and coaches wanting a better understanding of rules and of how the scoring systems work. We NEED more judges and referees! Don’t be shy.

Tips and reminders for new boxers 

New boxers can do themselves a favour by remembering these basics before their first few bouts. Your coach has probably told you these things, but let’s reinforce the message, and help you look sharper  in the ring.

Have a red and a blue singlet with you so you can wear the singlet corresponding to the colour of the corner you are allocated. Colour coded gear gives you an advantage, especially with computer scoring. If you are not clearly identifiable as “red” or “blue” then a judge may make an error and award your punch to the wrong corner. This is especially a risk during a busy bout with lots of fast action.

When you are about to start your bout, the referee will call you to the centre of the ring to “touch gloves” as a gesture of sportsmanship, then send you back to your corner ready for the bell. You must NOT touch gloves in this way during the actual bout. If  at the start of the next round you extend a friendly hand to your opponent and he instead lands a massive right on your chin, it’s your problem. Once the bell rings, you box, not socialize. 

Remember the basic commands from the referee – Box, Stop, and Break. You must stop immediately you hear the referee call STOP, and you may not continue till you are told to BOX. The command BREAK is used when two boxers get entangled, and it requires you each to take a full step back and then continue boxing. BREAK does not mean take a rest, nor drop your guard!

Finally, if you and your coach would like help with rules (eg what is a scoring blow, what is a foul) then ask and we’ll send you a copy of the rules with diagrams to make it clear. Local referees are also happy to assist when available if you would like to have a referee in the ring during your sparring, to have a “dry run” and get used to the commands.

There is a real  need for a pocket guide to the basic rules, for ready reference by boxers and coaches.  We hope to compile a first attempt at this very soon.

Possible venue change for 29 June show

Please note that for  the Canberra  tournament on Saturday 29 June there is a possibility of a change in venue for this date, details of which will be publicised soon. 

Computer scoring equipment 

ACT Boxing hopes to purchase its own computer scoring equipment in July or August. We will then be training referees  and timekeepers to set up the equipment, and it will be in use at all ACT tournaments thereafter

We need your help with committee work

ACT Boxing is looking for people to become involved in committee work – tournament planning, legal,  public relations, and fundraising amongst others. If you would like to help amateur boxing in any way, we want to hear from you. Call Tony on 6292 1149.

Recent activity here and interstate 

The last Canberra tournament on 13 April was well attended and featured excellent boxing. There were some particularly pleasing novice performances, and these new boxers should be proud of their efforts. We look forward to seeing more very soon. 

Special thanks to all of the volunteer workers and supporters who helped with ring assembly and transport, gloving, door control, record-keeping, announcing, time-keeping, photography, and the many other tasks that go towards making a tournament run smoothly. 

Boxers from Turner, Underground Northside and Boomanulla clubs also took part in tournaments in Richmond and Griffith recently, and both shows were supported by ACT referees and judges. 

Canberra(Turner) PCYC coach and time changes

David Burgemeister has ceased coaching junior boxers at Turner, so that he can concentrate on his other sports  coaching duties. Dave will be greatly missed by the boxing classes. Senior coach David Delfino is now assisted by Paul Guarini, and the times for classes have been re-structured as follows:

All classes are for both genders. Women and girls are becoming increasingly involved in boxing training and the first female boxer registered this year is from the Turner club - hopefully the first of many women to register .

Are you on our mailing list?

If you don’t receive this newsletter by post, ring us now and get on the free mailing list! Phone 62921149 & leave your details.

2002 Oceania results from New Zealand

The annual Oceania Titles, held last month in New Zealand, saw Australia winning 9 gold and three silver medals in the men’s divisions. This was the first year women have boxed at Oceania, and Australian women returned with 1 gold and 3 silver medals. Results of all bouts are available online at http://www.ozboxing.org.au

Amongst the silver medalists, Canberra’s Gerard O’Mahony and Michael Ninness impressed senior officials with tremendous performances in their final bouts against undefeated New Zealand champions. 

The two Canberra boxers travel to Perth shortly for a Commonwealth Games fundraiser tournament on Friday 17^th May., the night before our next tournament here.

Results of ACT Boxing annual elections

ACT Boxing’s annual general meeting was held on 8 May. The newly elected board comprises Rob Barron  (President), David Delfino (Vice-President), Dick Reid (Treasurer), Tony Whelan (Secretary), Board members Marguerite McKinnon, John Murray and Michael Hodkinson, and referee/judge coordinator Richard Terry. 

Coach Don Abnett moves to Canberra