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Today's elite boxers are exceptional athletes. They must not only be strong and in excellent physical condition, they also need to be quick, skillful and determined. The modern sport relies heavily on new technology and science to provide specialised training and athlete evaluation. Boxing scholarship holders at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) have access not only to Olympic-standard strength and training facilities, but to a group of world-leading sports science and sports medicine practitioners.
About AIS Boxing
The AIS Boxing program was an Olympic Athlete Program (OAP) initiative. International coach Bodo Andreass was appointed national head coach in 1997, based at the AIS in Canberra. Initially he worked around the country with Australia's leading amateur boxers and coaches and conducted national team camps at the AIS.
Today scholarships are offered to high performance boxers considered by Boxing Australia to achieve success at the international level. The AIS Boxing program is residential program with the athletes based in Canberra. There are two squads within the program: current national squad members; and National Talent Identification and Development (NTID) Indigenous athletes.
The primary aim of the senior program is to prepare boxers to represent Australia in international competition with a particular focus on ensuring boxers perform at a high level in the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. The AIS NTID program has the same aim as the senior program, but it takes a longer term view. These athletes are targetting the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2012 Olympic Games, while the senior athletes have Beijing in their sights.
The facilities for boxing at the AIS include two Olympic-standard boxing rings, punching bags plus strength and conditioning facilities that supplemnt those that are provided in the AIS's gymnasium. The program accesses a range of sports science services and equipment, including a boxing-specific punch integrator.
Heath Francis