The Star: October 05, 2023

24 The Star Thursday October 5 2023
SPORTS NEWS
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Papanui’s fundraiser line-up
promises plenty of punch
MATCH-UP: Riley Te Ao will face Blenheim’s Taine McNaulty at the heavy hitters fundraising
event on Saturday, organised by Papanui’s Sam Watt (right). ​
Top right – South Island champion Christian Tikao will also feature.
• By Jaime Cunningham
A NUMBER of national and
South Island champions will
headline Papanui Boxing Club’s
heavy hitters fundraising event,
which returns for an eighth year
on Saturday.
Although the club has lost
some top fighters overseas and
to injury, the event is a chance
for Papanui to showcase their
club and the region’s talent in
the 19 bouts.
Event organiser and five-time
New Zealand champion Sam
Watt said the smaller clubs in
Canterbury have grown and
impacted on the level of competition.
“The Canterbury boxing scene
is growing from strength to
strength,” he said.
“In the past, Riverside boxing
have dominated throughout the
mid-2000s to mid-2010s and
lately the traditional strong clubs
Woolston, Papanui and Smiling
Tigers.
“These clubs have now been
joined by Rangiora boxing and
Champ Nation also having
strong stables. This has meant
the local scene is really competitive
and a great camaraderie has
been built.”
While Papanui’s stable is
rebuilding after dominating over
the past couple of years, there
will be plenty of up and coming
talent in the ring on Saturday.
Riley Te Ao will be one of the
headliners, despite his short time
competing.
Watt said he has only been in a
boxing gym since February last
year.
“But (he) has racked up a
number of wins with his great
footwork and fierce body punching,”
he said.
Riley was the most scientific
junior boxer at both the Canterbury
championships and South
Island Golden Gloves this year.
The ages of boxers will range
from 14 to 36 at the event, which
will have four female bouts.
Welterweight and multiple
South Island champion Christian
Tikao will also feature.
Watt said Tikao is an “absolute
headache” for any opponent,
with other welterweights declining
to fight him.
The night will finish with a
bout between Papanui’s William
Vuidreketi and Champ Nation’s
Jacob Hermens.
Vuidreketi is the current South
Island Golden Gloves champion
and has won his last four fights.
Four-time New Zealand
champion Azeez Ghazizada
won’t be on the card after his
opponent Ryley Sutherland
(Woolston) withdrew earlier this
week.
Ghazizada won a silver medal
at the Oceania championships
in May, losing his final by a split
decision to Australian Redhu
Diyanshu.
• The first fight starts
at 6pm at Christchurch
Rugby Club on
Westminster St. Entry is
$20 for adults and $10
for under-18s on the door
(cash only). For more
information go to Papanui
Boxing Club’s Facebook
page
Teenager revs up for race of his life
• By Daniel Alvey
CHRISTCHURCH teenager
Louis Sharp is preparing for
the biggest event of his motor
racing career as he faces a
championship showdown.
The 16-year-old Rodin Carlin
driver is leading by one point
in the 2023 ROCKiT F4 British
championship, ahead of Hitech
Pulse-Eight’s William Macintyre.
The three-race showdown will
take place this weekend at the
Brands Hatch race track near
London.
“There’s nothing to lose now,”
he said on Facebook.
“We’re heading into the last
round. With how close it is we
really need to go out and nail it.”
Sharp has had five wins so far
in his second championship season,
three more than Macintyre.
He hopes winning the championship
will move him to the next
step on the ladder.
“I’m hoping we will be moving
onwards from F4, there’s a bit
of chat about what we do next
year but apart from that I’m
fully focused on closing out the
championship,” Sharp told the
Barc’ing Mad podcast.
Born in the United Kingdom,
Sharp spent most of his childhood
in Christchurch, attending
St Joseph’s School and St Bede’s
College before moving back to
the UK last year with his dad
Jason to pursue his F1 dream.
“As a family, we have had to
sacrifice a lot to make this happen,
but if I want to achieve my
dream I need to be in the UK.”
Sharp is hoping to follow in
the footsteps of fellow Rodin
driver Liam Lawson, who has
been making his mark on Formula
One as he stands in for the
injured Daniel Riccardo at Alpha
Tauri.
A former winner of the
championship was McLaren F1
driver Lando Norris in 2015.
IN FRONT: Christchurch
teenager Louis Sharp is
leading the British F4
Championship by one
point. PHOTO: JAKOB
EBREY PHOTOGRAPHY