ENGLAND AND THE ALLIANCE
Sport England comments on the divide in amateur boxing
TERRY SMITH, the coach of South Norwood & Victory amateur boxing club, wrote to say, “I would like it to be known that I was not the person who founded the Amateur Boxing Alliance, my first knowledge of this title was at the 2016 South East London division AGM and the title was already in place, my club’s proposition at the 2015 London ABA AGM was for the restoration of a fully amateur boxing association, the Amateur Boxing Association of England, which was carried by a unanimous vote by the members. The proposal not to affiliate to England Boxing was a follow-on from the 2015 mandate by the London ABA membership.”
England Boxing have now forbidden clubs and boxers
registering with both England Boxing and the Amateur Boxing Alliance, which Terry believes shows a “lack of consideration for the amateur boxer”.
“As regards to the championships, there is no senior national amateur championship. It is now known as the Elite championship, which allows for GB boxers who are now recognised as being of professional status to enter, and leads to unequal competition,” continued Terry, who would like to see the London ABA reunited. “The South Norwood & Victory opted to register with the London ABA, the birth place of amateur boxing and which survives today after more than 100 years due to the efforts of tens of thousands of volunteers giving countless hours of their time to a sport they believe in, and to the Amateur Alliance of England as it is the only time that we hear the word amateur being voiced and we feel that it will lead to the restoration of the Amateur Boxing Association of England.”
Sport England, the organisation that handles funding and the national governing bodies, commented: “Sport England actually doesn’t support the creation of the new organisation and would advise any clubs/individuals thinking of joining it that they won’t be eligible for public funding or to be in the England talent system. It’s because boxing is a sport that involves a higher element of risk. We ask people making funding applications for boxing projects whether the club is affiliated to England Boxing. This is how we can be assured that the basic safety requirements, coaches, insurances etc. are in place.”
‘BOXING INVOLVES A HIGHER ELEMENT OF RISK’