Pegasus Post: June 11, 2019

PEGASUS POST Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday June 11 2019 11
SPORT
Fasting gets boxer
CHAMP: Byron
Antal shows off
his South Island
Golden Gloves
most improved
trophy.
a bout – and a win
• By Jacob Page
WOOLSTON BOXER Byron
Antal’s success at the South
Island Gloves has been more
than 12 months in the making.
The 15-year-old, who stands
193cm and used to weigh 110kg,
has not been able to find an
opponent in more than a year.
To find someone to box,
Byron lost 17kg through
intermittent fasting, then
stepped into the ring at 93kg.
His hard work paid off – not
only did he beat Marlborough’s
Elevisi Kaloni to win the junior
male novice South Island
title but he was also named
most improved boxer at the
tournament.
“The whole thing was surreal,”
he said. “I was just sitting there
at prize-giving and I heard my
name called.”
Byron, who lives in New
Brighton and plays under-16
rugby for St Bede’s College, said
he was thrilled to find a bout
and it validated his effort at
training.
“I felt really good in there,
considering it had been a while,”
he said.
“I was happy with my jab
and my work rate in there.
Sometimes you get impatient
and frustrated just training, but
it’s a waiting game.”
He had the support of his
Woolston Boxing Club trainers,
who went on the weight-loss
journey with him.
“I have been having my first
meal at 12pm and then a dinner
between 5pm and 6pm and
nothing else besides water and
it’s worked.”
Byron started boxing in 2015
as a way to get fit during the
rugby off-season.
“I didn’t really think I would
like it, but I kept with it and
realised I really enjoyed it.
“At the start, I was training
hard but I wasn’t looking
to improve and I was quite
stubborn, but then I started to
take advice on board and get
better. The coaches say I need
to use my jab, my hook and my
right.”
Byron said he would like to
force his way into Canterbury
teams this year and then push
his claim for national honours.
South Island Golden
Gloves award winners:
•Most scientific youth:
Awatea Henry (NZFF)
•Most outstanding: Reece
Holz (Gore)
•Most scientific elite: Jai
Ghazizada (Papanui)
•Coach of most scientific:
Eric Sincock (Papanui)
•Best junior: Oliver
Brittenden (Round 12)
•Most scientific junior:
Tamatekapua More (Southern
Queens)
•Most improved boxer:
Byron Antal (Woolston)
•Team with most wins:
NZFF and Dixon’s Gym 5
Full list of Christchurch
winners:
44 cadet male novice
– Max Calbert (Smiling
Tigers); 52 cadet male
novice – Lachie Armstrong
(Woolston); 60 elite male
open – Rendz Remaneses
(1 More Round); 60 elite
women open – Tegan
Burdett-Clark (Woolston); 63
junior male novice – Oliver
Brittenden (Round 12); 64
elite male novice – Mujib
Ghazizada (Papanui); 75 junior
male open – Manaia Areli
(Papanui); 81 elite male novice
– Joseph Jacob (Round 12);
81 elite male open – Trevor
Swainson (Woolston); 81
junior male novice – Byron
Antal (Woolston); 54 cadet
male open - Josh Tonga
(A-Town); 56 youth male
match - Oremond Redmond
(Papanui)
•More sport, pages 14-15
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