Anthony Joshua coach to spearhead boxing academy
A COACH dubbed heavyweight boxing icon Anthony Joshua’s ‘secret weapon’ is to spearhead a brand-new Boxing Centre of Excellence based at Loughborough University.
Angel Fernandez was brought into Joshua’s team during his redemption victory over Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019, where he stormed to victory to regain the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Super), International Boxing Federation (IBF), World Boxing Organisation (WBO) and International Boxing Organisation (IBO) heavyweight titles to become a two-time World Champion.
Now, the experienced elite level coach is tearing up the traditional boxing rule book by taking athletes to new heights of ability and athleticism in collaboration with Loughborough Sport at the newly formed Boxing Centre of Excellence on campus.
The new boxing academy officially opened its doors this month and the first cohort of athletes includes Richard Riakporhe (British Cruiserweight and WBA International Champion), Qais Ashfaq (WBA Continental Champion), and Charles Frankham (Commonwealth Youth Games and European Championship Gold medallist).
All boxers will work under Fernandez’s technical guidance with Loughborough Sport’s performance support team integrating expertise in strength and conditioning, physio, physiology, nutrition, sport and performance psychology, performance analysis and performance lifestyle.
They will be based on campus yearround and will undergo heightened periods of training pre-competition.
Jo Simpson, Commercial Director, Loughborough Sport said: “The vision is to create a Centre of Excellence that leads the way in boxing training and development.
“The Centre will harness the best of Loughborough’s sport services, used by our elite athletes, alongside technical boxing coaching at the highest level in the world.
“We are taking phenomenal athletes to the next level, by creating new standards for boxing training and development and we will be optimising their talent and ability through personalised development plans helping create elitelevel boxing athletes.
“The athletes will be carefully selected so their attitudes and values match that of Loughborough Sport and we’re proud to be able to create an environment that professionalises all aspects of performance.
“The new Centre of Excellence will provide another dimension to the fantastic sporting environment already on offer at Loughborough University”.
Angel Fernandez added: “I chose to come to Loughborough as I saw it as the best place to develop my team and my coaching.
“There’s no doubt that it’s a motivational environment and we’re surrounded by other elite athletes training on a daily basis.
“The facilities are the best I’ve ever seen, and the boxers have progressed massively from the integration of elite performance support services alongside our coaching sessions.
“We are already seeing improvements in their abilities as athletes which is allowing me to get the very best out of them.
“The team is settled and happy and our focus is to create future World Champions here at Loughborough.”
LOUGHBOROUGH Dynamo moved to the top of the Pitching In Northern Premier League South/East Division table on Monday night with an impressive 3-0 away win at Market Drayton Town.
Goals from Jack Smith, Karl Demidh and Curtis Burrows saw them take over at the top from Belper Town and extend their unbeaten run to seven matches.
Smith opened the scoring for Loughborough on 17 minutes, before Demidh doubled the lead midway through the second half and Curtis Burrows added a third in stoppage time.
Dynamo boss Lee Attenborough paid tribute to his players saying the squad was battling to cope with injuries.
“The lads are walking wounded, we’ve got players injured all over the place, but they’re just putting a shift in.
“As a group they’re a pleasure to manage and if you have got the team spirit we have, you won’t go far wrong.
“You’re only two bad results away from dropping down the table so let’s make sure we keep doing what we’re doing.”
On Saturday, they will be back in league action when they play host to Wisbech Town.