The 33rd North Island Golden Gloves in Taupo this weekend will see a number of Australian amateur boxers making the trip across the Tasman to compete.
With the annual festival of boxing being classified as an "open" tournament for the first time, the door has been opened for the participationof an Australian contingent of around ten boxers to fight against the best amateur boxers in the North Island.
"It is great to have Australian participation at the Golden Gloves for the first time and will take our boxers who meet the visitors in the ring out of their comfort zone," Central North Island Boxing Association president Rex Jenkins said.
The tournament was hosted by the Taupo Boxing Club until founder Nuki Johnson died more than a decade ago. The tournament is now under the permanent stewardship of the Central North Island Boxing Association.
From humble beginning in the Wairakei Village Hall, the annual tournament now sits only second in stature to the national championships.
More than 150 boxers are expected to journey from gyms throughout the North Island to compete at the Great Lakes Centre.
"We have had a solid increase in female entries to around thirty-five entries which is encouraging to see the revival women's boxing in the last couple of seasons" Jenkins said.
Since the Golden Gloves kicked off in 1984 the very best pugilists in the country have taken centre stage. David Tua first made his mark as a 15-year-old in 1988 taking the jump into the senior ranks for the first time.
