TWIN TURBOS LEAD GAMES BOXERS TO DELHI
August 2: Australia's first "boxing twins" are amongst 10 pugilists confirmed by the ACGA to represent the nation at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi this October.
A bunch of fresh faces including five teenagers will make their debut in Delhi, with 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Luke Jackson (lightweight 56 - 60kg) from Tasmania the most experienced member of the Australian contingent.
Nineteen-year-old twin brothers Andrew and Jason Moloney, who train at the East End Boxing Club in Croydon in Eastern Melbourne, have come a long way since first taking up the sport five years ago to improve their fitness while playing football in the Eastern Football League.
Andrew, who will compete in the light flyweight 46-49kg category, is one minute younger than Jason who will bout in the 49-52kg flyweight class.
The Moloney boys will be the third set of twins to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games.
Legendary Australian cricketers Mark and Steve Waugh competed at the Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur in 1998, the team defeated by South Africa in the gold medal clash.
Road cyclists Remo and Sal Sansonetti also competed at the 1978 Edmonton Games, Remo placing ninth and Sal finishing 19th. The twins were also flag bearers at the opening ceremony.
One of Australia's hottest young boxing prospects Damien Hooper will compete in the middleweight 69-75kg class. The 18-year-old Queenslander won a silver medal at the 2010 World Youth Championships and will represent Australia at next month's inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore.
Following in the footsteps of his proud father and 1983 Australian boxing champion Craig Woods, Tasmanian Luke Woods will make his Commonwealth Games debut in the light welterweight 60-64kg class after only taking up the sport four years ago.
It won't be hard to miss Queenslander Dane Mulivai, who will compete in the light heavyweight division. Well recognisable by his body art, the 26-year-old proudly sports the word ‘Samoa' across his chest to portray his Samoan heritage, and also has a tattoo of a kangaroo holding an Australian flag on his right shoulder.
The super heavyweight and veteran of the team at 29 years of age is Russian-born Alexey Mukhin who has successfully completed two university degrees and only started boxing for fun. His step-father Roman Filimonov was a renowned boxer in Europe.
Also named in the team is plumbing apprentice Ibrahim Balla (bantamweight 52-56 kg), Western Australian Giancarlo Squillace (heavyweight 81-91kg) and Cameron Hammond (welterweight 64-69 kg) from New South Wales.
Boxing is one of only three sports, along with athletics and swimming, to have featured on every Commonwealth Games program.
Australia has a strong heritage in boxing, securing 59 medals throughout the history of the Commonwealth Games, 13 gold, 14 silver and 32 bronze.
At Melbourne 2006, Australia won two gold medals courtesy of Jarrod Fletcher (middleweight) and Brad Pitt (heavyweight).
Australian Commonwealth Games Association CEO Perry Crosswhite said that although a fairly young and inexperienced team will enter the ring, the team still had strong medal prospects.
"We hope that our boxers in Delhi will achieve similar success to that gained by our 2002 Manchester and 2006 Melbourne boxing squads," Crosswhite said.
"This will be a challenge as we not only expect tough competition from the traditionally strong boxing nations such as England and Canada, but also increased strength in the lighter weight divisions from the local Indian boxers."
Delhi 2010 will feature events in ten weight categories (men only), light flyweight 46-49kg, flyweight 52kg, bantamweight 56kg, lightweight 60kg, light welterweight 64kg, welterweight 69kg, middleweight 75kg, light heavyweight 81kg, heavyweight 91kg and super heavyweight +91 kg.
The Delhi 2010 boxing competition will be held from 5 - 13 October 2010 at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium.
2010 Australian Commonwealth Games boxing team
|
Andrew Moloney |
19 |
VIC |
46-49 kg |
Light flyweight |
|
Jason Moloney |
19 |
VIC |
49-52 kg |
Flyweight |
|
Ibrahim Balla |
19 |
VIC |
52-56 kg |
Bantamweight |
|
Luke Jackson |
25 |
TAS |
56-60 kg |
Lightweight |
|
Luke Woods |
18 |
TAS |
60-64 kg |
Light welterweight |
|
Cameron Hammond |
20 |
NSW |
64-69 kg |
Welterweight |
|
Damien Hooper |
18 |
QLD |
69-75 kg |
Middleweight |
|
Dane Mulivai |
26 |
QLD |
75-81 kg |
Light heavyweight |
|
Giancarlo (John) Squillace |
23 |
WA |
81-91 kg |
Heavyweight |
|
Alexey Mukhin |
29 |
ACT |
91+ kg |
Super heavyweight |
Press release issued by ACGA