Walsh shares in medal wins
WEXFORD’S INTERNATIONAL boxing coach Billy Walsh continued his American adventure last week, making his first trip with his new squad to the World Youth Championships in St. Petersburg, Russia.
This tournament for boxers under the age of 19 is seen as a stepping stone to progress on to their respective country teams for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. Billy has been working with these boxers since returning to the states after his success in the Rio Olympics last August.
In a tournament containing all the top nations in the world, Walsh led his charges to a very successful outcome by grabbing two gold medals and two bronze medals. This elevated the U.S. team to second in the medals table behind the mighty Cubans, who won two gold and two silver.
It is the first time in almost ten years that the Americans are back battling for positions at the top of the medals table.
Speaking exclusively to ‘People Newspapers’ before he left St. Petersburg, Billy was quick to praise the input of the coaches of these young boxers and the level they have brought them to.
‘Many Irish people would not appreciate the adversity a lot of these young guys face in their daily lives. Similar to Ireland, American boxers are not always drawn from wealthy sectors of society, so even having adequate training facilities and gaining access to them is a big problem,’ he said.
‘Their coaches are the ones who instilled their dedication and love of boxing and kept them on the right road in their young lives. The performances and the medals achieved here in Russia are a tribute to these outstanding coaches.’
Billy went on to explain that in the short time he and his staff have been working with these boxers, they have been focusing on subtle changes to their technique while trying to prepare them mentally for the rigours of international competition.
‘There is an amazing amount of talent in America, but there is a mammoth task ahead to try to put systems in place to make sure the talent is identified, nurtured and allowed to develop.
‘The last week in Russia has shown me the potential within the American system but it has also shown me the many difficulties that lie ahead,’ he said.
‘We will enjoy the victories but they are gone now and it is on to the next phase. The national championships are on next month and if any of these medal winners do not win their respective titles their positions on the team are in jeopardy. Such is the harsh reality and competition within the U.S. system.’
Billy is back training this week in his Colorado base and will return to his beloved Wexford at Christmas for a two-week break.
Incidentally, Ireland also had a successful tournament, winning two bronze medals to finish 13th in the medal table. One of the successful duo, Gabriel Dossen, might come to the attention of Wexford boxing fans in the next twelve months.
He won his medal in the light -welter division, the same weight as Wexford’s reigning Irish champion, Dean Walsh.
It will be interesting to see if the young Galway man’s corner thinks he is ready to make the step up to Senior level in next year’s championships.
It just shows there is also a talent pool coming through the Irish system and there will be no easy titles won in the National Stadium in February.