Boxing: Duo take top medals

Callum Shanks (left), 14, and Tyler Kopua, 15, from Waipukurau who picked up silver and gold medals at the national boxing championships in Rotorua. CHB Mail photograph.

Two young Central Hawke's Bay boxers are making their mark on the national stage, returning from the national championships in Rotorua two weeks ago with gold and silver medals under their belts.

CHB Boxing Club member Tyler Kopua, 15, picked up the gold in the junior (54kg) division where he was up against two-times national champ Joel Hill from Timaru.
The pair faced off in a battle of three, two-minute rounds, each of which Tyler won convincingly, says trainer Sam Fuller.

Tyler had already faced his competitor about four weeks ago and lost, but was not too daunted about fronting up to him again, he says.

"I put the pressure on in the first round and thought I would be okay going into the next two rounds, and the judges were unanimous."

A southpaw who has been boxing for about three years, this was his second national competition. His first was last year when he went down in the final to Darrius Tregaworth, of Feilding.

Fellow CHB College student and boxing club member Callum Shanks, 14, gained silver in the 50kg cadet division where he faced Kaiya Hape of Gisborne.

A four-year veteran of the sport, he says he was a little nervous going into the ring, having lost to Kaiya in previous fixtures.

"I knew I was fitter than him, and although I lost the first two rounds I was getting on top of him after the second round and won the third round convincingly."

Back in the training ring in Waipukurau last Wednesday night, the pair, who have tallied more than 20 fights each to date, are now focusing on preparing for the four-day North Island Golden Gloves at Labour weekend.

Sam, who is a two-times national title holder himself, and a coach at the club alongside Robbie Ellmers, a three-times national title holder, says the results showed that despite its small size, the CHB club was punching above its weight.

"These guys trained every day in the lead up to this event and it's great to see them achieving after all their hard work - it's exciting to get the rewards."

The club tries to get its members to six to eight tournaments a year, and currently has about 20 junior members and 12 to 15 seniors.