BOXER PACKAGES UP ANOTHER WIN
BOXING
SLUGGER Campbell Somerville has continued Australia’s winning start to the Commonwealth Games boxing with a dominant victory in the 75kg division.
The rangy 21-year-old from Melbourne was all over Grenada’s Joshua Redhead, who was left reeling by a fearsome left jab which prompted the referee to stop the contest midway through yesterday’s afternoon’s third round.
Redhead, who gave up 15cm on the 190cm Somerville, never looked in the fight and received standing eight-counts in every round.
It was far from pretty but Somerville’s aggressive style paid dividends from the opening bell, ambushing Redhead with a flurry of wild swings. “He was a bit of an awkward customer,” Somerville said.
“I was trying to take my time and stay composed but just found it pretty hard to get my range with him.
“You could even see with his corner - they wouldn’t tuck in his shirt. It happened three or four times ... it was a stop-start fight which was a bit weird at times.”
A tough opponent awaits tomorrow in Rio Olympics quarter-finalist Vikas Krishan of India. But personal trainer Somerville is hoping his lanky frame and unconventional style can disrupt his opponent’s rhythm. AUSTRALIA may be the No.1 men’s hockey side in the world – but they reckon there is more to life than numbers.
The Kookaburras take on South Africa in their Commonwealth Games opener on the Gold Coast today accepting they are on the road to a higher peak – the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
The disappointment of missing a medal at the Rio Olympics cut deeply with the team and captain Mark Knowles said the team would not be fooled into assuming that dominance in non-Olympic years translated into excellence when it truly matters.
“In 2017 we went through and worked out what type of team we were,’’ Knowles said.
“We classed ourselves in an emerging category, which people found really hard to understand because we were the No.1 side in the world.
“That ranking was a bit false because the previous era had built up so many points.
“We have worked through that phase. The next step is good and we are on our way to greatness, which is what we want in the lead-up to Tokyo.
“At the moment we class ourselves as a good team even though we are No.1 in the world.’’