Off to nationals
Quintet of Cape Breton boxers to fight in Quebec City.
After more than 30 years in the sport, Brad Ross knows a thing or two about the sweet science.
So fight fans should take notice when the 46-year-old boxing coach nods toward a group of up-and-coming young fighters and calls them “the future of our sport.”
Ross, who serves as the president of both the Sydney Boxing club and Boxing Nova Scotia, is travelling to Québec City for Boxing Canada’s 2016 national championships this week as a coach with the provincial team.
And, he’s taking some of that ‘ future’ with him. No fewer than five local boxers will be competing at the championships that begin with today’s weigh-ins. But while they come in different sizes and ages, the one thing they do have in common is that they are all itching to climb be- tween the ropes in Québec City.
“We were up at the Albion Boxing Club in New Glasgow last week for provincial team training and our guys looked really good - they’re ready to go,” said Ross.
The youngest of the Cape Breton combatants is 14-year-old Avery Gale of the Sydney Boxing Club, who has already racked up plenty of experience since he first stepped into the squared circle three years ago.
“In the last week before a bout we taper down the training, we’re ready to go and then when you get there all you want to do is fight, you just can’t wait,” said Gale, who is competing in the junior division’s 46 kg category.
“Probably the best feeling is stepping into the ring and hear- ing that bell ring – it’s awesome.”
Ross’ contingent also features three Tri-Town club boxers who are competing in the youth division: North Sydney’s Thomas Foster, 17, is the lightest of the trio and will compete in the 60 kg class; Sam Prince, 17, of Sydney Mines is in the 75 kg category and his cousin Josh Prince, 16, of North Sydney will fight in the 69-kg division.
The Prince cousins, who push each other while training together, had different starts to their fledgling pugilistic careers.
“I wanted to get into boxing and one day I went to the gym and I loved it so I kept coming back,” explained Sam.
For his part, younger cousin Josh said he got into the sport as a way of losing some weight.
“A couple of years ago I weighed 195 pounds – this has really helped me, I feel good about myself and it’s exciting to box because I get to test myself,” said Josh, who now weighs in some 40 lbs. lighter than he did when he first hit the gym.
The fifth, and eldest member, of Cape Breton’s fighting contingent is Glace Bay’s Jonathan Sinclair. The soft-spoken 24year-old, who was the last Nova Scotia boxer to be eliminated from the Canadian Olympic boxing trials in Montreal in December, will fight in the 69 kg class of the elite division.
A total of 236 competitors will be taking part in the championships with 78 of them being female. Cape Breton’s top female boxer is Taylor Ross, 18, who is nursing an injury and will not be fighting in Québec, although she will be attending the championships.