British schools title snatched from Chloe
Lang boxer loses out inThree Nations Championships
Cambuslang club boxers were left in disbelief after their fighter was “robbed” of her first British title.
O’Neils ABC member Chloe Bodwick fought her heart out at the GB Three Nations School Championships in Cardiff.
But the 14 year old, who fell short at the same stage last year due to a freak eye injury, was met by a familiar feeling after losing out to her Welsh opponent on a split decision in Saturday’s 50kg final.
In a clash which many felt Bodwick had won, including the Welsh commentators on the online live stream from the tournament, she dominated the ring, keeping Ellie Taylor on the back foot for most of the fight.
But Brian Murphy, Bodwick’s coach at O’Neils, was baffled by the end result which swung in Taylor’s favour 3-2.
He said “A terrible decision cost Chloe the gold. She was clearly the only girl in the ring looking to win. But she can be proud of herself, as can the whole of Scotland.
“She boxed brilliantly and represented her country with honour and dignity. She is a class act and has a bright future ahead of her.”
Up against the tall and rangy Taylor, Bodwick went in close, landing great combinations to the body and head which the Welsh girl found difficult to handle.
Taylor did have her moments with some decent counters and the first two rounds could have gone either way. With the contest seemingly level, the third round was set to be the decider.
The Scot kept the pressure on, landing some good head shots over the top of Taylor’s long defence combined with some great body shots.
Again, her opponent struggled to cope with Bodwick, holding on and pushing her head down at times to snuff out the O’Neils fighter’s attacks.
The fight was a fantastic advert for school girl boxing, with both boxers demonstrating their differing styles to an appreciative crowd. However, the judges seemed to prefer the Welsh girl’s counter-punching style and awarded her the victory.
Bodwick’s parents felt their daughter was “robbed” of the gold but the brave youngster was already looking ahead to next year for another shot at glory.
She said: “Although I’m disappointed that I didn’t get the win, I am really pleased with my performance.
“She hardly hit me and I thought I had done enough to win. My coaches couldn’t believe the decision either and the crowd seemed surprised.
“But it’s done now and I’m already looking forward to the new season.
“I would like to thank Boxing Scotland for giving me the opportunity to fight for my country again and leading the team in again [as a flag bearer] was a real honour.
“Thanks to the coaches who have prepared us to our best. Also a massive thank you to my club coaches Andy and Brian who have helped me to prepare for the GB’s and travelled to Wales to support me.”