Army boxers sharpen their skills in the ring ahead of Inter Services Championships
The Army Boxing team have been sharpening their boxing skills as they prepare to defend their title at the upcoming Inter Services boxing championships.
In preparation, the team have just spent a week training at the home of GB Boxing in Sheffield alongside some of Britain’s finest boxers.
"Obviously they're going out there and they’re not just sparring kids who are ranked in the top five or top ten in the country, these are lads who are ranked within the top five in the world and Team GB," head coach Sergeant (SI) Chez Nihell said.
He added: "So they were in stretch a bit, however, the opponents you're in against, they bring the best out of you and that's what we did for the boxers.
"It gave them that confidence knowing that they can stand in there in the ring and hold their own with people who are ranked in the world, it gives them great confidence going into the UKAF championships."
Sgt Nihell, who won his national belt representing the UK Armed Forces in 2018 before continuing his boxing career in the pro ranks, says the upcoming competition is so special for all forces fighters.
He said: "You know when you look at the UK Armed Forces Championships, regardless of me going on to national honours and things like that, the UK Champs is the holy grail of military boxing.
"You look at that, the history behind how long it's been contested for in that trophy and how many times are trophies be contested for in the different teams that have won over the years.
"The boxers that made up those teams is a great history. And that's what I say to my boxers now, is that they're a part of that history.
"And, you know, to wear that Army strip with pride and to go in there and do the team most proud is they're not just boxing for themselves and boxing for each other."
Welterweight boxer Private Dillon Swales is set to make his Inter Services debut, and after moving up a category for this season, and he said he came away from the training camp with the GB Boxers in Sheffield with "confidence".
He said: "They're really good, it shows the levels there is in boxing like that. They're really good lads, I got good confidence coming out of it.
"It's class boxing for the Army, it just feels good to know that that's what I'm doing."
The Inter Services Boxing Championships takes place at RAF Honington on 27 March.
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