Wellington's Ryan Scaife reflects on his win over Rotorua's Emile Richardson.
Rotorua middleweight boxer Emile Richardson is one of 10 Kiwis heading to Bangkok this month to compete in the seventh Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament.
The New Zealand contingent is split between two teams, with Wendell Stanley, Ryan Scaife and Jerome Pampellone joining four Australian boxers in a combined SouthernCross side.
Richardson recently returned home from a European trip with an international boxing medal. He defeated Ryszard Lewicki, of Poland, at the Felix Stamm tournament before losing to Swedish boxer Adam Chartoi in the gold medal bout.
Last month, Richardson went into the New Zealand Golden Gloves in Rotorua as the number one ranked middleweight boxer in New Zealand but a loss to Scaife saw him slip out of the top spot.
The tournament is one of the strongest Asian international events, attracting the world's top boxing nations with Cuba, Russia, China, India, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Iran, PDR Korea, Japan, Philippines and Australia participating in recent years.
It is also an opportunity for New Zealand's boxers to sharpen their skills ahead of the World Championships in Russia later this year and the Olympic qualifying tournament early in 2020.
Rotorua's Emile Richardson (right) and Wellington's Ryan Scaife are part of a Kiwi contingent heading to Thailand. Photo / Ben Fraser
The four female boxers who will make the trip have been together as a group this season. Tasmym Benny (51kg), Amy Andrew (57kg), Troy Garton (60kg) and Chei Kenneally (69kg) have all competed at the Trans-Tasman Super Eight and in international tournaments in Poland and Spain.
At Boxam Valencia in Spain, Benny fought three times to claim a silver medal. On the way to the gold medal decider, she defeated Spanish and French opponents, before losing by way of a majority decision to Taylah Robertson, of Australia, in the flyweight final.
Kenneally also stood on the podium in Spain after earning a bronze medal in the welterweight division. After dispatching her Hungarian opponent 5-0, she was defeated by a French boxer in the semifinals.
Thailand Open International Boxing Tournament - July 20-27
Southern Cross Team: 69kg - Wendell Stanley (Auckland BA), 75kg - Ryan Scaife (Well/HV), 81kg - Jerome Pampellone (Auckland), 52kg Alex Winwood, 56kg Liam Pope, 60kg Jack Denahy, 64kg Harrison Garside (Australia).
New Zealand Team: Women: 51kg - Tasmym Benny (South Auck), 57kg – Amy Andrew (Manawatu), 60kg – Troy Garton (Shamrock), 69kg – Chei Kenneally (Auckland). Male: 64kg – Michael Reynolds (Well/HV), 69kg – Dominic Roe (Auckland), 75kg – Emile Richardson (Central North Island). Head Coach: Billy Meehan.
