Connellan gets Hamer off the mark
HAMER boxing club gained its first win of the new boxing season when 17-year-old Bethany Connellan represented The North West Women Warriors when she travelled to Dublin, Ireland last Friday to compete in the All Female Esker Box-Cup at the Christian Brothers CBS Sports Hall.
In Europe’s biggest two day Female event, Connellan was matched against Ireland’s Shannon Owens of Gilford ABC in the final and she showed great skills, footwork and determination to keep her aggressive opponent at bay as she constantly caught Owens with her swift jab to keep her off balance before the Rochdale girl unloaded some swift two and three punch combinations to both the body and head to take the bout and the gold medal by unanimous decision.
Jude English also represented Hamer Boxing Club and the North West Women Warriors in Ireland but the 14-year-old was unsuccessful in her challenge against the Esker golden girl Rebecca Toohey, who beat English in a very close splitdecision that could have gone either way.
Although she was disappointed with the defeat, Jude was offered an opportunity to redeem herself when she was given a chance to box again the very next day and she bravely took on the challenge of Neve Diks-Taylor of Freedom ABC, Doncaster.
Although DiksTaylor’s original opponent pulled out. She quickly settled down to the task ahead as she landed an accurate jab that began to constantly catch English as she moved in. But it wasn’t long before the Hamer girl began to settle down herself and as she began to find her range she began to take the fight away from her opponent to gain gold by a unanimous decision.
The North West Warriors head coach Ian Harrison said “Both girls showed true grit and boxed very well for their country.
“Jude showed how brave she was to step up to the plate so soon after her disappointment in losing such a close fight and as for Bethany, she was fantastic and the most improved girl in our squad of twelve girls that came away with six golds, three silver and one bronze.”