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WOMEN'S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS

AUSTRALIAN R&J INTERNATIONAL APPOINTMENTS

Steve Warn and Ann Tindall have been appointed by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) to officiate at important international tournaments.

Steve Warn has been appointed a Referee and Judge to the 2010 Commonwealth Games to be held in New Delhi, India, in October.

Ann Tindall has been appointed a Judge to the 2010 Elite Women’s World Championships to be held in Bridgetown, Barbados, in September.
 
As part of a strategy to ensure honesty in officiating in international boxing, AIBA now directly appoints officials to important international tournaments. This strategy has removed the ability of national boxing associations to have ‘influence’ over officials through the power of selection of them.

Congratulations to Steve and Ann. We are very pleased that AIBA has recognized their skill and will entrust them along with the other appointed officials to conduct these important tournaments.

Posted 29 August 2010

DAMIEN HOOPER WINS GOLD
Damien Hooper yesterday boxed his way into international and Australian boxing history by becoming the first Youth Olympic Games Middleweight Champion.

And, supported by Brett Mather who did Australia proud by winning the Lightweight Silver Medal, they ranked Australian Youth boxing number 3 in the world at the Youth Olympic Games.

Damien and Brett earlier this year were among 7 members of the Australian Team to the Youth World Championships. A few of us before that Championships expressed the view they were the strongest Youth Team ever to represent Australia – and they proved it through their ‘Top Ten’ finish at the World Championships. Damien and Brett, of course, won respectively Silver and Bronze Medals – the experience of which they each utilized in Singapore to go one better. By finishing in the top four in their weight categories in the Youth World Championships in Azerbaijan they also won the right to box at the Youth Olympic Games. A number of other Team members, with a little luck, could possibly have joined them, in particular, Jackson Woods.
 
Congratulations to Damien and Brett on their successes in the first ever Youth Olympic Games, and good wishes to all of our 2010 Australian Youth Team boxers as they progress in our sport – they have made this a great year for Australian boxing.

Posted 26 August 2010

GREAT WINS AT YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES
Congratulations to Brett Mather and Damien Hooper for their great wins over the weekend in Singapore in the Youth Olympic Games.
 
Brett Mather drew a bye and then on Sunday beat the Mexican champion to move into the Gold Medal bout. Brett had a great second round to move from 0-2 to 4-3 and then with only seconds remaining in the last round went in front to win it 8-7. It was a real never-say-beaten effort executed with genuine boxing skill.
 
Damien did not draw a bye in the first round - instead he drew the World Champion (Joe Ward-Ireland), and then defeated him 2-4. Yesterday, Damien defeated the Hungarian Champion 4-0. Both wins were achieved with real skill and nous.
 
The boxing at the YOG can be seen live on both the Youth Olympic Games and AIBA websites. For more information visit http://singapore2010.olympics.com.au, http://aiba.org, and you can watch the fights live at http://www.youtholympicgames.org
 

APPOINTMENT OF NEW BAI BOARD DIRECTOR

The BAI Board is pleased to advise that Mr. Jim Ferguson, former CEO of the Australian Sports Commission, has accepted an invitation to become a Director of BAI. The BAI Board welcomes Jim and looks forward to his important counsel.

NEW COMMONWEALTH GAMES TEAM SECTION MANAGER

Mick Hastings for personal reasons has resigned from his position as Section Manager of the Australian Boxing Team to the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The Australian Commonwealth Games Association, following nomination to it by the BAI Board, has appointed David Pike to be the new Section Manager of the Australian Boxing Team to the Commonwealth Games. David was the Team Manager of the Australian Team to the 2009 Men’s World Championships and officiated at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in India as an R&J. He holds a senior commander’s role in the Victoria Police.

AUSTRALIAN BOXERS AT YOUTH OLYMPIC GAMES

Brett Mather (Lightweight Bronze medalist in this year’s Youth World Championships) and Damien Hooper (Middleweight Silver medalist in this year’s Youth World Championships) are in Singapore with coaches Mark Wilson and John Florenca for the Youth Olympic Games – you can follow their progress on the Youth Olympic Games and AIBA websites.

FUTURE GOVERNMENT SUPPORT OF AMATEUR BOXING

In accordance with the ASC Board's decision there has not been any response to the above submissions. However, the BAI Board is concerned that the High Performance Boxing Program, although continuing to be funded at its present level,may be moved off the AIS’s Canberra campus. If that eventuates the value of the existing HPP Program funding will be diminished, and the boxing facility at the AIS will be lost and not be available for the use of the NTID Program and it will not be possible to take up the opportunity to establish a training 'hub' for Oceania and South-East Asia amateur boxing at the AIS.