Women’s boxing features at the Commonwealth Games for the first time this July and two of New Zealand’s top female fighters will be there.
Olympian Alexis Pritchard will be joined by 20-year-old Magan Maka in a seven-strong boxing team that also includes teenage super heavyweight Patrick Mailata (91+kg) and Canterbury welterweight Bowyn Morgan (69kg).
The team was named by the New Zealand Olympic Committee today.
Pritchard, who finished fifth in the 60kg class at the London Olympic Games in 2012 and is ranked No2 in the Commonwealth, said the inclusion of women’s fighting on the Commonwealth Games programme is a huge step for the sport.
“I feel really honoured and proud to be part of the first group of women making history,” she said.
“Women have fought hard in the ring for many years and it is recognition of this. It’s an absolute positive for boxing in New Zealand and around the world.”
Pritchard added that the calibre of boxers at Glasgow will be high but a podium finish is in her sights.
“For me, Glasgow is about building on my experience in London. I learned a lot in that elite environment and now I want to keep moving forward and finish with a medal in Glasgow.
“England’s Natasha Jonas who is the Commonwealth number one is the fighter to beat,” she added.
The oldest in the team at 30, Pritchard also hopes to offer support to the others named today, including Maka.
Dr John McKay, New Zealand’s high performance director for boxing, said the team is looking forward to some tough competition in Glasgow and the qualification process for this year’s Commonwealth Games means athletes are prepared.
“Our athletes have had to work harder than ever to make the grade. It hasn’t been good enough for our athletes to be winning medals in Oceania, our requirements have been for them to be securing top finishes in international tournaments and they have been able to do this.”
Joining Mailata and Morgan who both secured gold medals at a tournament in Serbia also this year is Auckland University Student and Chinese language major David Light (91kg) as well as Chad Milnes (60kg) and Leroy Hindley (64kg).
The men’s team will head to Ireland in July for a 10-day training camp in mid-July while Pritchard and Maka will prepare at a three-week camp in England.
Boxing opens at the Commonwealth Games on the July 25 at the SECC venue with finals taking place on the August 2.
New Zealand has won 30 medals in Commonwealth Boxing including five gold medals, the last gold was won by Michael Kenny in the 91kg heavyweight class at the Auckland games in 1990.
The last medals won by New Zealand in boxing were two bronze medals at Manchester 2002 won in the 69kg men by Daniel Codling and the 91kg by Shane Cameron.
Additional athletes may be selected to the boxing team pending results from this weekend’s Golden Gloves event in Taupo.
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