Lewis gets call-up for World Championships - The Leamington Observer

Lewis gets call-up for World Championships

Leamington Editorial 20th Oct, 2021 Updated: 20th Oct, 2021   0

LEAMINGTON boxer Lewis Williams has been handed the chance to spearhead the next generation of British talent after being selected for the 2021 AIBA World Boxing Championships in Serbia.

The Cleary’s Gym heavyweight will be one of nine men to represent GB Boxing as England in Belgrade at the championships which start next Tuesday (October 26).

The seven men that competed at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games were not considered for selection so it is an opportunity for a new generation of boxers to showcase their talent at a major tournament.

It includes a mix of experienced boxers and some more recent additions to GB Boxing’s Podium squad, with 6ft 6ins Williams one one of the least experienced.




Williams was a quarter-finalist in the World Youth Championship 2016 and won the best boxer award at the 2017 Haringey Cup, a showcase for amateur boxing before taking gold in 2018 Three Nations Cup and winning the national senior elite championships.

He won silver at the 2019 EUBC Under 22 European Boxing Championships in Russia.


Only featherweight Niall Farrell of the GB squad in Serbia has a major senior medal to his name, having won flyweight silver at the 2017 European Championships in Ukraine. He competed at the 2017 world championships in Germany.

“The world championships is an incredibly tough assignment so this is an opportunity for a new group of boxers to test themselves at the very highest level,” said GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken.

“There is a lot of talent in this team. However, (the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 means) they have had very little competition over the last 18 months. Taking part in this tournament will be a great learning experience for the boxers and will enable myself and the coaches to get a clear idea of where we are and what we need to do to develop this group.”

The most experienced members of the group are featherweight Farrell, flyweight Kiaran MacDonald, light-middleweight Harris Akbar and middleweight Lewis Richardson. The team is completed by Harvey Lambert at welterweight, George Crotty at light-heavyweight,  Delicious Orie, who will box at super-heavyweight, and Conner Tudsbury at cruiserweight.

MacDonald and Akbar have been part of GB Boxing’s Podium squad for more than four years and travelled to Tokyo 2020 as sparring partners to help prepare the boxers that competed for Team GB at this summer’s Olympic Games.

Richardson is heading to Belgrade on the back of a good run of form. The 24-year-old year old won the Bocskai tournament in Hungary in February 2021 and was unlucky to be denied the opportunity to compete at the Tokyo Olympics after the qualification pathway was cut short as a result of Covid-19.

Richardson said: “It was disappointing to miss out on Tokyo, but I’m now fully focused on reaching Paris 2024. This will be my first experience of a world championships but I am in good form and feel that I am improving all the time so am looking forward to it.”

 

Printing

We can provide all of your printing needs at competitive rates.

Reader Travel

Check out all of the latest reader travel offers to get your hands on some free gifts.

Buy Photos

Buy photos online from the Leamington Observer newspaper.

Announcements

Weddings, Birthdays, Bereavements, Thank you notices, Marriages and more.