Fighting for girl power in the ring
A new coach is bringing big changes to the ultra-masculine environment of a Cannons Creek boxing gym.
Simone Harris, 25, is the first female coach to step into the ring, and she’s about to start training a whole new type of boxer.
‘‘I know the deal here, this is a community I understand, and this will be the first place we pilot a programme for the girls,’’ she said. ‘‘That’s special to me.’’
For the past two terms, a group of girls from nearby Windley Primary School have been turning up to train in their lunch hour, something Harris said had been a long time coming.
‘‘When the first group of girls walked in, my heart swelled. It was the best feeling to have girls in here, it gave me goose bumps.’’
The Cannons Creek Boxing Academy is a pilot gym to the famous Billy Graham Boxing Academy in Naenae, which has earned its founder accolades since it opened in 2006.
The Cannons Creek branch opened in 2014 under head coach Latu Talu, Graham’s protege, and Harris said she had long been a fan of the programme.
‘‘I thought it was incredible, the energy and enthusiasm is amazing ... there was just one thing that was missing – where’s the girls?
‘‘It took a while to convince Billy, who’s pretty old-fashioned. He told me girls’ faces are for kissing, not punching.
‘‘I passionately believe that, for every boy in this gym who has trouble at home, who has a hard time, who needs love and confidence, there’s a girl that’s going through exactly the same.
Her perserverance paid off and this term a new group of school girls will be arriving from Windley School, and Harris said she was aiming to open up classes to other girls in term 4.
‘‘Its not about the boxing, it’s about youth development, it’s about love and care. We’re here for the role models and a safe space, and boxing is a mechanism to teach them all that.
‘‘I feel I have power in my hands to make a difference. I’ve seen what they do for boys and it’s so amazing I get the chance to do that for the girls.’’
Mental health halts hearing
The man charged with murdering Kiaong Tan in Kilbirnie, Wellington, was not present for a High Court hearing of his case yesterday. The man, 49, was detained for mental health assessment. At the High Court at Wellington his name was suppressed. The case was due in court again on November 15. Justice Simon France said the man remained mentally very unwell and updated health reports were expected for the next court hearing. Tan, 66, was known as ‘‘Bill’’. He died after an incident on March 30 at a residence for people on low incomes or with special needs.
School bus crashes into pole
A bus, carrying 15 children from Ruahine Primary School, hit a power pole near Dannevirke about 8.20am yesterday, police said. Three children received minor injuries and police said one child was taken to Palmerston North Hospital, along with the bus driver.
Two dead after crash
Two people are dead following a crash in Tauranga at 4pm yesterday. One person died at the scene and a second person died in Tauranga hospital. Emergency services responded to the scene on State Highway 29A at Maungutapu, between Baypark and Welcome Bay. The crash involved five vehicles and occurred after a car broke down.
20 arrested in raids
More than 20 people have been arrested in raids targeting home burglary suspects across Manawatu, Horowhenua, Taranaki and Whanganui. Police executed 16 search warrants on 16 properties across the Central District area on Tuesday, Wednesday and yesterday. Twenty-three people were arrested and have been charged with a variety of offences, including burglary, theft, breach of bail, cultivation of cannabis, possession of cannabis for supply, and possession of a firearm. Five were already wanted on outstanding warrants. The operation recovered ‘‘a substantial amount’’ of property.
"It took a while to convince Billy, who's pretty old-fashioned. He told me girls' faces are for kissing, not punching." Simone Harris
Rapist named in court
A Wellington man who raped a 65-year-old woman in June can now be named. He is Peter Niko, 40, of Johnsonville. He pleaded guilty yesterday before Porirua District Court judge Jan Kelly to seven charges of sexual violation, rendering the woman unconscious with intent to commit sexual violation, threatening to kill and detaining the woman with intent to have sexual connection with her. The woman was alone in her Waitangirua home on June 17 just after 6am when the man came to her door saying he was looking for his daughter. His lawyer, Nick Chisnall, said the police summary of facts was largely accepted but there were still some unresolved issues. The judge said the summary could be read at the next hearing. She remanded him in custody until August. As he was led from the court, Niko called out ‘‘sorry’’ to people sitting in the back of the court.