Phoenix boxers in strict training
THE AMATEUR boxing season is about to enter its busiest period of the year and Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club is set to go in all guns blazing with its boxers in extremely heavy training ready for the start of the championship period of the season.
Thirteen-year- old Cameron Whyte continues his international career with the news that he will represent Scotland in a match against England in Newcastle on January 30. This is a chance for revenge for Cameron as he faces the boxer who defeated him in the final of the Monkston Cup in Dublin.
Having been Scottish champion for the last three years, Cameron continues to strive to improve and works tirelessly in the gym.
Club coach Charlie Anderson said: ‘Cameron’s competitive desire seems to be growing ever stronger. He’s always at training, never missing a session and the results of this are shown in his performances in the ring. When he began boxing he wanted to win a bout. When he achieved that he wanted to be Scottish Novice champion; when he achieved that he wanted to be Scottish Intermediate champion and when he achieved that he wanted to be Scottish Open champion. When he achieved that he wanted to win a bout boxing for Scotland and when he did that he wanted to compete in international competitions.
‘Now he has been a finalist in these and reached the last eight of the European Championships, he wants to win golds at these too. I wouldn’t bet against it.’
Revelation Also on January 30 this year’s Intermediate championships begin and three of the club’s boxers are competing.
Fourteen-year- old Ewan Easson has been a revelation since beginning his boxing career, sweeping aside everyone in his wake to claim the Scottish Novice title. He is the most inexperienced boxer in this competition but the club coaches believe he has the ability to not just gain experience at the Intermediates but to actually go all the way and win the whole thing.
Sixteen-year- old Kevin Aitchison has been at the club intermittently for a few years, winning some bouts and losing others. Growing older, however, has matured Kevin and this season he has approached the sport in a more dedicated manner.
He is now fitter than he has ever been and if he can replicate his gym form in the ring then the title will be coming home to Fort William.
Senior Adam Watson has won Scottish Novice and Intermediate titles in the middleweight division and while he has always trained hard he has stepped things up to a new level, being more careful with his diet, and will now compete at welterweight in his last competition before trying his hand at open class boxing.
Having always possessed dynamite in both hands, he has been working on technique tirelessly in the gym and his coaches believe this change - in dynamic - is going to take Adam to a whole new level.
Fitting in nicely with the boxers’ preparations, Garnock Valley boxing club’s coach Joe Affleck drove three of his boxers to Fort William last weekend for a training camp where both clubs’ boxers took part in three training sessions over a 24-hour period.
The sessions involved a mixture of technical work and hard sparring and both groups benefited greatly from the experience.
Charlie Anderson explained: ‘Part of the attraction of boxing is that, unlike other sports, boxing people are open in helping each other at all times.
‘Joe travelled to Fort William having never spoken to any of our coaches in person but in a short space of time the boxers and the coaches have bonded so much we can’t wait for their next visit.’