WA boxer in Games team
Mullaloo's Jordan Samardali has been confirmed in Australia's Commonwealth Games boxing team.
The 20-year-old, trained by Danny Green's old coach Pat Devellerez, is the only West Australian in the team of 11 announced this morning by the Commonwealth Games Association. His inclusion was initially revealed on thewest.com.au more than two weeks ago.
Samardali won the 81kg national title in Fremantle last month, and was named boxer of the tournament in the process.
He is currently at the Australian Institute of Sport with the rest of the squad for a three week camp.
The honour of being the first women to represent Australia at the Games goes to Kristy Harris, Shelley Watts and Kaye Scott.
Women’s boxing made its Olympic debut two years ago, with Australia sending only one athlete to the 2012 London Olympics - WA's Naomi Fischer-Rasmussen.
In Glasgow they have women are competing at 51kg, 60kg and 75kg.
Boxing Australia chief executive officer Kable Kelleway believes the three women have an equal chance of doing well in Glasgow.
“They’re all at relatively the same level,” says Kelleway, “so it will all come down to their draw.”
The men nominated include a relative of Socceroos star Tim Cahill.
Jai Opetaia became the youngest fighter to represent Australia at an Olympic Games in London.
Then 17 years old, he was close to claiming an upset defeat of the ultimate bronze medallist, Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan.
Daniel Lewis, a gold medallist at the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games, has been named in the 69kg division.
Jackson Woods and Nick Cooney, both from the powerful Latrobe Boxing Club in Tasmania and coached by Woods’ uncle Craig Woods, are also in the team. Woods will fight in the 56kg division, Cooney in the 60kg.
Woods defeated Melbourne’s Jason Moloney to win the national title, breaking up the twin brother Jason and Andrew Moloney combination who had both represented Australia in Delhi four years ago.
Andrew Moloney returns for his second Commonwealth Games in the 52kg category.
Although there will be 10 male and three female weight categories at the Games, each country can only take 11 boxers. That meant disappointment for two national champions - Joshua English (49kg) and Jason Mallia (64kg).
The team will fly to Ireland in early July in the build-up to the Games.
Boxing events in Glasgow will be contested at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre Precinct with preliminaries on July 25-30, semi-finals on August 1 and finals on August 2.
Full team
Elite Women
Kristy Harris – 51kg
Shelley Watts – 60kg
Kaye Scott – 75kg
Elite Men
Andrew Moloney – 52kg
Jackson Woods – 56kg
Nick Cooney – 60kg
Daniel Lewis – 69kg
Mark Lucas – 75kg
Jordan Samardali – 81kg
Jai Opetaia – 91kg
Joseph Goodall – 91+kg
