THE TSBA team sent to the nationals earlier this month, from left: Charlie Perez (coach), Malcolm Matthes, Nikah Perez, Dayton Kawau, Ceejay Hill, Lyric Kawau, Kealey Perez, Tyson Taitoko-Turu, Kagen Seymour, Teore Tamehana (coach).
A TAUMARUNUI Silverback Boxing Academy (TSBA) team performed outstandingly at the National Amateur Boxing Championships in Whanganui earlier this month. Silverback spokesperson Amy Perez, who was event manager for the nationals, said the Taumarunui club’s team earned four golds, three silvers, and one bronze. “The boxers have put in so much hard work, with many hours in the gym and out fundraising leading up to championships,” Amy said. “We also appreciate the work all the coaches have put in with our team, the number of hours they have committed to the team leading up to the pinnacle event, and the time put in at the Nationals does not go unnoticed.” As well as managing the nationals, Amy has been elected to the Boxing New Zealand Executive Board. She said this was a great opportunity for her to step up and support the sport’s growth into the future. Boxing New Zealand had developed a future program for the development of boxers. And as part of this program, Amy’s husband Charlie Perez had been selected as an NZ Junior Squad Coach. Meanwhile, the Silverback team was awaiting the selections to see who may have qualified for the National Squads for their respective age groups. “There is a great opportunity for those who may be selected to work with some of the top coaches in the country, while also potentially competing at some high-level international tournaments,” Amy said. “We wish the TSBA team all the best and hope they can all secure spots within the respective teams. “The club has tournaments coming up over the next couple of months where some of our new boxers have been registered for their first bouts. This is exciting for the club’s growth in the hope we can take more boxers to next year’s nationals in Rotorua. “Alongside the amateur boxers training, we also have three boxers training for a corporate bout in December. We are looking forward to seeing Alfie, Teore, and Psalms step into the ring.”
