Boxing: so much owed to so few

A handful of gutsy young boxers have saved the sport from certain death

The sport of boxing in the Cook Islands owes a great deal to the four young men who took part in the Pacific Mini-Games.
While they may not have won Gold, it was their gutsy performance which has saved the sport from certain death in a country whereS so many other sports now vie for the attention of young people.
Vengi Hagai, an experienced boxer from Pukapuka has won medals at international events. He won Silver. Osolai, his younger brother, won Bronze. Marcus Jack performed well and showed he has future potential. Eddie Daniel was unlucky but his time will soon come for honours.
Boxing is a highly individualistic sport and the only sport where opponents train for months to condition their bodies for just nine minutes in a confined space, raining blows down on each other only to end up hugging each other when it’s all over.
Lack of regular high level competition was against our boxers who were up against overseas boxers some of whom, had over 90 fights under their belt.
Boxing struggles in every capacity save for spectators. Local contests continually draw crowds in excess of 300 people. A venue like the new indoor stadium could prove a Godsend for the sport.
There are many die- hards who still have an unshakable faith in the re-emergence of the sport. There is something about Cook Island boxers which makes overseas teams line up to take our boys on.
Prior to the Mini-Games, Tahiti, Fiji, Samoa and New Zealand teams indicated a wish to visit the Cook Islands to take our boys on. Our boys took part in a tournament in Tahiti just before the Mini-Games which included boxers from Fiji and NZ.
The four young men who represented the country in the Mini-Games form a solid core around which to regenerate the sport. While it’s unlikely the sport will ever reach the heady heights of former years when the likes of Toru, Piri Purito, Pupuke Robati and others represented the country, there will be a recovery process but it will be slow.
There is a future for boxing and it will hinge on persuading parents to allow their kids to take up the sport. Amateur boxing has become much safer, there are improved safety gear and tight controls during training and competition to prevent serious injuries.
What the sport also needs right now is a big injection of support from those former boxers who gave so much to the sport earlier and who are determined to see it rise again.

Herald Issue 463 10 June
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