Boxing club gets facelift, new sparring ring added

By Lawrence Powell

Spectator

NovaNewsNow.com

Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club is still in the same location, at the Fitness Experience Gym on School Street in Middleton, but there’s a new look and coach Bruce Harkness is all geared up for a new season. “We are very excited about this new competition year and looking forward to gaining some more members,” said Harkness. “We have done a great deal of renovations to our club since the end of the summer and it is actually starting to look like a real boxing gym.”

The club built a brand new sparring ring that Harkness said looks just like the one you would order out of a catalogue. “I can’t believe how good it turned out, it’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “I can’t thank enough people who contributed to this, either with donating materials or the labour of putting it together, it was a lot of work and I appreciated it.”

The ring was Dave Muir’s vision and it was his long hours of labour that got the ring built. Wayne Balcom put in a lot of time with the renovations plus helped out with the boxers. “I couldn’t run this club without Dave and Wayne,” Harkness said.

Harkness said others who deserve credit are Scott Harrington, Bob Williams, Randy Strong, Martha Roberts, and Justin Eastman – with a special thanks to Jamie Peppard of the Fitness Experience Gym, Debra Ryan of Annapolis Recreation, A.W. Allen Ltd. and Rona Cash and Carry, as well as Nova Millwright Ltd.

UPCOMING PROVINCIALS

Pegasus boxers are currently gearing up for Provincials. Junior Provincials are set for November 29 in Glace Bay where Cyrus Taylor will represent the Middleton club in the 63-kilogram division, hopefully earning a spot on the provincial team that will travel to Edmonton in late February 2009.

Beth Muir will represent Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club on December 6at the Senior / Elite Provincials in Westville trying to earn a spot for Nationals in Trois Riviers Quebec in January 2009.

The Middleton club will be hosting a card on November 1 at the Greenwood Community Center, with the first bout at 7 p.m. The event is open to the public.

Muir will also be in the ring on October 18 at the Lion’s Hall in Berwick with start time set for 7 p.m. “As you can see, the busy season is well under way,” said Harkness.

CLUB OFFERS CLASSES

The Middleton club is also offering classes for recreational boxers and ladies classes this year. Recreational boxers train Monday evenings from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The ladies will train on Wednesday evening’s beginning at 7 p.m.

The objective of Pegasus Amateur Boxing Club is to provide a safe, organized forum in which to learn amateur / Olympic-style boxing, said Harkness. The primary mission of the club is to encourage each member to develop to the fullest of his or her potential. The club will provide an atmosphere where members are given a chance to help develop self-esteem, a sense of belonging, and a concern for others. The program will emphasize on basic fundamentals, discipline/respect, sportsmanship, and conditioning sparring. Interclub / provincial competitions are the outcome of the skills obtained and demonstrated by the registered athlete. During the practice of this program, it is hoped that each member has obtained an appreciation of amateur boxing and the discipline required of the sport, increased self-confidence and a high level of physical fitness.

AMATEUR BOXING “Amateur boxing is a safe contact sport just like many others,” said Harkness. “However, there are fewer injuries than most contact sports.”

In amateur boxing, before each contest, the athlete is required to have a medical examination by a medical doctor, which is then annotated in the athlete’s passport normally held by the boxer’s coach. It is also mandatory that a medical doctor is present at all competitions, or the event will not go on.

In amateur boxing, the objective is to out point ones opponent, not to physically destroy him or her. It is a sport of skill. In scoring, no extra credit is given for a power punch; the boxer who wins a bout wins on skill, not brute force.

In all amateur boxing contests, the boxers wear AIBA (international governing body for amateur boxing) approved protective headgear and gloves.

All activities in the boxing club will be in compliance to the constitution and bylaws of Boxing Nova Scotia.

If you would like to join, they cal contact Harkness at 825-1671 or drop in at the club.