University to host women in boxing conference

LOUGHBOROUGH University is to host England Boxing‘s first Women in Boxing conference.

Olympian and five-time national amateur champion Natasha Jonas will be the headline speaker at the event, which takes place at the university’s Science and Enterprise Park on Saturday, December 18, from 11am to 4.30pm.

Liverpudlian Jonas, who has fought Katie Taylor for a world professional title and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Olympics, will chat about her journey in the sport, her highs and lows and the adversity she has faced in a historically maledominated sport.

She will be joined by other guests and speakers at the conference, which will provide an opportunity for more than 200 women and girls in the sport – including boxers, club members, coaches, officials and other volunteers – to share ideas.

On a theme of breaking down barriers, the conference is part of England Boxing’s ongoing programme o addressing the gender imbalance in the sport.

It will open the sporting body’s 12-month Equality, Diversity and Inclusion series of events aimed at supporting and promoting participants from ethnically diverse communities, as well as disability boxing.

“The Women in Boxing Conference is a significant step forward for England Boxing in developing the sport from a female perspective,” said England Boxing’s head of community development, Charlie Ford.

“We want to inspire people to help women and girls’ boxing continue to grow and, with the series we have planned, we want to support anyone get involved with the sport, regardless of their gender, ethnicity, capability, sexual orientation or socio-economic background.”

For registration details, email: enquiries@englandboxing.org

Please ensure all reports reach the Sportsdesk by 3pm on Monday