Flaxmere pulling the gloves on
It will be a huge day for Flaxmere on Saturday, hosting the Hawke’s Bay Boxing Championships at the Flaxmere Community Centre.
There are 91 boxers lined up for the event, with at least one coming from as far away as Australia.
The event is being hosted by the Flaxmere Boxing Academy, under the auspices of the Hawke’s Bay Boxing Academy.
“I know boxing is not everyone’s cup of tea,” says Henare O’Keefe, the man who started the Flaxmere Boxing Academy. “But what we teach here is about more than boxing, it’s about building warriors in the ring and champions in the home. It’s about learning right from wrong, and knowing the right way to treat your family and wider whanau – with respect.”
Mr O’Keefe, who is also the Hastings Ambassador and a Hastings District councillor, says the sport has helped bring the community together.
“We have a huge number of children and teenagers who are learning discipline and taking part in a sport that dates back through the centuries,” he said.
“There are a huge number of people who respect this sport, and it is a fine opportunity for Flaxmere to share the best of itself with the rest of the region and New Zealand.”
He said it would not be too long before Flaxmere held a national boxing competition. “We want to share the heart that we have here in Flaxmere with the rest of New Zealand.”
A pre-event briefing with volunteers is being held tonight [Friday, August 2] prior to weigh-in starting at 9am on Saturday morning.
“We are inundated with volunteers. It’s amazing – we have people preparing food, making sure our officials are being looked after, keeping everything clean and tidy – they are absolutely awesome. We couldn’t be holding this event without them.”
There are door sale tickets only to the event, with a crowd maximum of 200. Spectators are expected to start arriving at the venue at 9am (for a start time of 11am). There are two sessions, 12 noon to 2.30pm and 3.30pm to 6pm, costing $5 for children and $12 for adults for each session ($10 for children and $24 for adults for both sessions).
