Boxing training to start again in the Bay
After a long lull, boxing training will again be offered in Golden Bay.
The two-hour weekly sessions will be held at the Scouting Hall in Park Avenue, with adult classes on Tuesday evenings, starting on August 24, and juniors (12 to 16 years) on Thursdays from 26 August from 5 to 7pm.
The man behind it is Kas Muller of Upper Takaka, who says he’s seen enough kids hanging around town outside his Lollokiki gallery to appreciate that some of them need something to do.
“I was like that once, a young boy lost in my home town of Utrecht in Holland. Instead of getting on the wrong side of the law, as I would have, my father encouraged me to take up boxing, and I never got in trouble again. Boxing can focus a young person like nothing else. If you’re not so much a team player, it’s a great sport to be involved in.”
Support for a boxing group has come in from all sorts of places. TDC recreation officer Dave Myall got behind the idea right from the start. The use of the currently underutilised Scouting Hall in Park Ave was encouraged by Ricky Ward and Roger Tait. Trash Palace donated $300 to help with equipment like gloves, punching bags and skipping ropes. Pounamu, who has two boys keen to learn how to box, will be helping out with the paperwork.
Kas is keen to point out it’s not just a boy’s sport. “It can be a great confidence-booster for girls, not to mention them learning a few self-defence techniques. Women are welcome to come along, too. We might look at women’s training nights if there’s a demand.”
The sport of boxing goes back a long way in New Zealand. The first bare-fisted bout was held in Canterbury back in 1862. Welterweight Ted Morgan won our first-ever Olympic gold medal back in 1928. It’s been said the 1940s and 1950s were the heyday for boxing in New Zealand, but there has been some resurgence of interest of late, as Pacifika boxers like David Tua make their mark in the sport.
“Wouldn’t it be great if a champ could come out of Golden Bay?” mused Kas. “In the meantime, if anyone has any boxing equipment they aren’t using, like gloves, bags, skipping ropes—then we’d be keen to use them. Anyone willing to help out with training is welcome too.”
The session cost will be a gold coin donation. Parents are always welcome to come and watch. For further information contact Kas on 525 8860.
Gerard Hindmarsh
