BY LIVETT MYRNE COMFORT
NINE GIZO Based local boxers have resumed training recently under the supervision of Coach Elson Lena of the Waterfront Boxing Club.
Coach Lena said, at Gizo Boxing Camp six of the boxers are new inclusion and three of them are females which increases females to five. New boxers were selected from a pre-selection tournament in August and December at Noro.
Lena said Solomon Islands Armature Boxing Association SIABA encourages more girls and women alike to join the sport as the prime goal now is preparation for the pacific games.
“We are training towards the tournament in September and October in Honiara for selection to represent the country. Most of our boxers are from the province and I call on the government of the province to support our boxers with good equipment,” He said.
The coach said, his team are moving to a new site in Gizo Town as the old site is now not conducive for training. He pointed that out as a challenge for the sport in the Western Province.
“Many of my boys represent the country in the past, he said. Boxing already died out here in Gizo, then I revived it. There’s no other club here and if we stop, boxing will stop in Gizo.” So, we found a new training site, we will resume on Monday.”
Lena also pointed out that the advantages of engaging in the sport are also on self-discipline, physical health and reducing the chance of young people involving anti-social activities.
“Many of my boys had been involved in crimes, but when they joined boxing, they left the bad habits. He observed. So I said, if we continue in the sport we will change their lives.”
Lena joined armature boxing in 1980, while his coaching career took off in 1995. He represented the Solomon Islands in one of the past mini south pacific games in Vanuatu.
FEATURED PHOTO: Coach Elson Lena, of the Gizo Boxing Camp. PHOTO: LIVETT MYRNE COMFORT
