Boxing
Australian Sports Commission
Sport Overview
Australian boxers have won both silver and bronze medals at previous Olympic Games but we are yet to produce an Olympic Gold Medallist. Therefore the aim of the boxing program is to identify and fast track Indigenous boxers into the national squad and national team, with the ultimate goal of increasing Australia’s medal chances at the Commonwealth and Olympic level. With the appointment of NTID’s regional coordinators a significant amount of work has taken place in many rural and remote areas to source the best possible Indigenous talent for the NTID Boxing program.
The NTID Boxing program links closely with the existing Indigenous Boxing Network established by the ASC’s Indigenous Sport Unit and also utilises the Indigenous Sport Officer Network which operates throughout Australia through State and Territory Sport and Recreation Departments to assist the identification of potential participants in the program.
Current Project
The NTID Boxing project ‘Lord of the Rings’ scanned the indigenous populations throughout Australia, and due to the large numbers of expressions of interest, pre-selection camps were conducted in regional areas of Australia. The aim of the pre-selection camps was to select up to 30 athletes between the ages of 16 to 27 to attend a 'Fast Gloves' training camp at the AIS. Up to six athletes were selected from this training camp to take up a full residential scholarship at the AIS in Canberra being exposed to all the coaching and support services of other AIS athletes including specific competitions opportunities.
Additionally, five “Hot Spot” Centres of Excellence (COE) have been established to provide a unique feeder program to the AIS National Boxing program. These centres will assist in developing depth in Australian amateur boxing ranks, and have been implemented in Brisbane, Townsville, Darwin, Northern NSW, and Central NSW. The location of these centres depended on the geographical location of the various athletes and the identification of dedicated part-time coaches in the selected regions. Up to two camps per year will be conducted at the 'Hot Spot' COE’s to provide the selected athletes with services and coaching, with the AIS NTID coach travelling to these centres to assist with the camps. The 'Hot Spot' COE’s will also provide a defined pathway for indigenous athletes who wish to pursue boxing as a sport.
The development of these COE’s, within the NTID Boxing program, will provide opportunities to athletes in rural areas with better coaching, monitoring, and training systems.
Competition preparation includes:
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Thailand - August 2007
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State Championships - October 2007
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Trip to Fiji - October 2007
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Australian Championships - December 2007
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NTID Selection Camp - January 2007
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Oceania Championships - 2008
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Preparation for Commonwealth Games Selection
Squads
The NTID athletes who have been selected for a full residential scholarship at the AIS, training under the supervision of NTID Boxing coach Mr Don Abnett are:
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Nathan Carroll (NSW)
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Sammy Leone (QLD)
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Timacoy Williams (NSW)
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Cameron Hammond (NSW)
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Joel Hutchinson (QLD)
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Luke Boyd (NSW) (NTID Scholar Jan 07 to August 07) has since graduated to a full AIS Scholarship
Results
Success at the 2007 Arafura Games, has been highlighted through Luke Boyd’s and Timacoy Williams’ selection in the senior and junior Australian teams respectively, demonstrating the success of the daily intensive training provided to them at the AIS in fast tracking the development of their skills and fitness.
Selection in Australian 2007 Senior World team
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Luke Boyd
Selection in 2007 U/17 Australian team
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Timacoy Williams
2007 Oceania Championships
- Luke Boyd gold medal
Commonwealth Cup
- Luke Boyd silver medal
2007 Arafura Games
- Cameron Hammond silver medal
- Sammy Leone bronze medal
- Nathan Carroll bronze medal
Program Supporters
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Boxing Australia
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Australian Sports Commission
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Australian Institute of Sport
Contacts/Links
For further information and enquires please click here
Testimonials
“Combined camps with AIS NTID scholarship holders and the COE athletes puts pressure on both groups of athletes to lift their performance and train harder”.
“The intensity and high level of training within a supported environment has created faster improvement and development of skills than training in isolation”. Don Abnett, AIS NTID Coach
“The indigenous boxing program has provided opportunities to athletes in rural areas through better coaching, monitoring, and training systems”.
“The NTID program has helped make the transition into the AIS environment a lot easier through proper support systems (e.g. indigenous unit, flights home and bringing family in for visits)”. Nathan Carroll, AIS NTID Scholarship Holder
