As year draws to close boxing club sees surge in numbers
As the year draws to a close, it looks like 2020 is going to see an upsurge in activity for Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club, as the boxing season enters its ‘business’ months.
Current Scottish champion, 13-year-old Josh Dieguno, enters the Scottish Intermediate Championships at the end of January with the Scottish Open Championships, where he will defend his title, coming hot on the heels of that competition in March.
After the very successful home show in November, there has been an upsurge in attendance at training sessions for the club which has meant the club’s small gym is struggling to contain the numbers in attendance.
To this end the club hope to announce some exciting news regarding premises before the turn of the year which will be hugely beneficial in letting the coaches create many more boxers from the club members.
Other exciting news is the fact that after not competing for almost two years, former multiple national and international champion Cameron Whyte is back in the gym training hard towards a comeback.
He has also been attending Boxing Scotland’s Performance Pathway Programme at regional level which is the first steps in trying to return to international duty for Scotland.
After the club coaches have transported Whyte across Scotland for regular training sessions over the past two months, he will now take part in a district assessment within the next eight weeks which, if successful, will see him link up with the Scottish Development Squad and give him an avenue to join Scotland’s elite boxing group and hopefully resume his international career.
Club spokesman Stephen McManus was enthusiastic about Whyte’s re-emergence on the boxing scene. ‘It’s been great to see Cameron back in the gym and watch his fitness improving.
‘Hopefully, over time he can represent his country again and fairly soon we’ll have him back boxing for Lochaber Phoenix Boxing Club.’