Local fighters Christchurch-bound

SHAPING UP: Patu Tahi boxers (from left) Dann Larby, Kiarn Cottle-Curtis, Tyla Kahukiwa-Larby, William Edginton and Khadyn Kahukiwa-Kora shape up in the ring as they prepare for their next bouts. Picture by Paul Rickard

TWO Patu Tahi boxers will travel to Christchurch next month to fight for the national Golden Gloves title.

Khadyn Kahukiwa-Kora and Tyla Kahukiwa-Larby qualified for the national competition by virtue of their performances at the North Island Golden Gloves. The top two fighters in each division from the North and South Island events were eligible to contest the national title.

Kahukiwa-Kora, a student of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Horouta Wananga, won a unanimous-decision victory over Hawke's Bay fighter Alex Coull in the cadet male 57-kilogram division to win the North Island Golden Gloves title for the second year running.

Kahukiwa-Kora had been on the other end of a unanimous decision against the same fighter three weeks before, but he was able to step up to another level in his most recent fight.

Head coach Kim-Maree Larby said it was a convincing victory. Kahukiwa-Kora used his long reach to good effect against the shorter fighter.

“Both fighters boxed beautifully, but he won it so easily. It was the most beautiful boxing display I've seen all year from any of our boxers.”

Larby said Kahukiwa-Kora used his footwork to create space and angles to land punches.

Kahukiwa-Larby, fighting in the junior female 54kg division, had a tough fight against Arohaina Dean and lost a split decision.

A Gisborne Girls' High School student, Kahukiwa-Larby said her fitness let her down in the fight and she now knew what she had to work on.

With the South Island Golden Gloves having no competitors in her division, the fight for the national title is scheduled to be against the same opponent.

“It's definitely pushing me to train harder,” she said.

“I feel like I need to redeem myself and beat this girl.”

In preparation, Kahukiwa-Larby is in the gym training every morning from 6am, and again in the afternoon.

Dann Larby fought in the junior male 60kg division, where he was unsuccessful in his first fight.

Kim-Maree Larby said she wanted to give her fighter a chance in that division, as he had not fought in the past two years because of his braces.

“I said to him, ‘I know you're not fighting-fit, but it's your last year as a junior,' and he was keen.”

The Golden Gloves is the premier amateur boxing competition in New Zealand, with scouts from the national team there to watch up-and-coming fighters.

Professional boxers cannot compete at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games, so many competitors stay in the amateur ranks in the hope of representing their country and perhaps winning a medal.

Kim-Maree Larby wanted to thank those who had got in behind the club to support the fighters.

She said it wasn't cheap to send fighters away to compete and a lot of people had been chipping in what they could to help out.

“It's really good that we got that help,” she said.

“We wouldn't be sending them to Christchurch without it.”