Sally Munday OBE, the head honcho at UK Sport, has come out swinging with kudos for GB Boxing. She’s tipping her hat to them for firing up the nation with a barrage of sporting victories. Munday’s throwing her two cents into the ring in the guest Foreword of GB Boxing’s latest Annual Review 2022-23.
Munday belts out, “Our World Class Programme for boxing isn’t just a contender, it’s a heavyweight in our sports family. The boxers have been duking it out splendidly, but let’s not forget, boxing’s also a champ in pulling different communities into the Olympic sport fan club.”
She highlights GB Boxing’s squad as a real mixed bag, representing society far and wide, making it a knockout at reaching those hard-to-crack communities and delivering more than just uppercuts and jabs outside the ring.
Munday doesn’t pull any punches in her write-up, shining a spotlight on GB Boxing as a trailblazer for women in the sport, tipping her hat to the likes of Nicola Adams, Lauren Price, and Karriss Artingstall for their historic feats.
She throws in a nod to GB Boxing’s fancy footwork in setting up World Boxing, a new international federation that’s all about keeping boxing on the Olympic roster for Los Angeles 2028 and beyond.
Munday wraps up, “Sometimes, you’ve got to roll with the punches and take the lead. Hats off to GB Boxing’s top brass for fighting to keep boxing at the core of the Olympic spirit.”
Summing up GB Boxing’s mantra and her vision for the future, Munday says, “Believing in putting athletes first has been the secret sauce behind GB Boxing’s success, and I’m betting my bottom dollar that, come hell or high water, this programme will keep thriving and our boxers will continue to be the nation’s inspiration.”
The Annual Review, covering April 2022 to March 2023, not only boasts the medal haul of GB boxers but also how they’ve weathered a storm of challenges.
Apart from Munday’s Foreword, the Review packs punches from GB Boxing’s Chair, Jason Glover, and Performance Director, Rob McCracken, who lays out the gritty details of nurturing Olympic medalists.
McCracken gets down to brass tacks: “Looking at GB Boxing’s track record, a four-year stint on the WCP is just an appetizer for a boxer aiming for Olympic glory. Take our Tokyo heroes, for instance, they averaged nearly seven years in training. Experience in the ring is worth its weight in gold.”
He gives a shoutout to his crew at GB Boxing, confident about the future despite the inevitable rough patches in elite sport. McCracken adds, “We’ve got a dream team of coaches and staff. They’re the secret weapon behind our success. Sure, we’ll hit some snags, but I’m bullish about our prospects as long as we keep our ace team together.”