by Matthew McEvoy
Kingston University boxers are looking to pave the way to gold this weekend, as they travel to Sheffield to fight in the British University Championship preliminaries.
The five-strong team will be facing stiff competition from across Britain, but maintain their relatively inexperienced squad will come out on top.
The new look, all male squad will be fighting at a variety of different weights, from 54kg to 81kg.
Head Coach “T” Hassan is confident the team will build on previous success, namely a haul of British University and College Sport’s (BUCS) gold medals that dates back to 2007.
He said: “We are definitely confident. If everything goes to plan, we envisage that we will return with at least four gold medals, or at the very least, four silvers.”
The team consists of architecture student Nabiel Malik, 20, who will be fighting at the lightest weight of 54kg, geology student Ayo Salami, 21, at a catch-weight of 63.5kg, computer science student Tomasz Koprowski, 23, at 71kg, business management student Loukas Baltzoglou, 20, at 75kg and pharmacy student Darien Appieh-Kusi who will be weighing in at the heaviest weight, 81kg.
The team is lacking in actual ring experience, yet Head Coach Hassan insists it is relative, as preparation has been highly intense.
He said: “Though we lack in experience in terms of ring time, we are highly prepared in terms of conditioning,
“They are working at a rate that isn’t comfortable them, but will force them to react as if it were a second nature.
“Even though they will be up against more experienced and articulate pugilists, their work rate will be so high it will push them outside of their comfort zone”.
Last year was a largely successful for the KU boxing team, with geographical information systems student Latricia Cranston bringing home gold, after her one minute mauling of St Andrews University Gardner Moore.
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