Dudley ace Kelsey Oakley's hat-trick of top boxing titles
Dudley boxing ace Kelsey Oakley gave another demonstration of her vast potential by completing a hat-trick of titles at the women’s Winter Box Cup.
The 19-year-old Priory Park ABC star defeated Limehouse’s Terri Naylor in the final of the under-50kg tournament, a victory which also secured overall victory for the Midlands’ squad at Leigh Leisure Centre on December 4.
Oakley, the reigning national amateur champion, had captained the Fight Like a Girl (FLAG) team which also contained six of her Priory Park club-mates.
One of those, Millie Short, has since enjoyed further success by winning a title at the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs Championship (NABGCs)
“The girls are absolutely smashing it at the moment,” said club chairman Paul Gough. “All of them did really well. Even though a few of them don’t have that much experience compared to some of their opponents, our boxers will take on anyone.”
Oakley is the one leading the way after following up her previous Box Cup wins from 2018 and 2019 and capping off an excellent year which has also seen her claim a fifth national title and win a place on the GB academy squad.
She will next box for England in Serbia in February, before making her bow in GB colours the following month. Gough believes there is still enough time for Oakley to force her way onto the podium squad ahead of Paris 2024.
“Keeley is just unreal,” he said. “Getting onto the GB academy means she is now a part-time funded athlete and she trains up at the Sheffield Institute of Sport every other week.
“Whatever challenge is put in front of her, she overcomes it. She is very determined. From now it is just a case of taking every step to get where she wants to get to.”
There was also joy for Priory Park’s Gieona Kaja-Cuedajri, who claimed a maiden Box Cup title in the junior under-54kg event.
Courtney Dalloway and Ellie Jones also reached the finals of their respective categories, while Mia Holland, Tayla Spooner and Short also performed well, the latter in a losing effort against newly-crowned European junior champion Ruby White.
Short would not be denied the following weekend when she won the 48kg title at the NABGC finals, staged in Bridlington Spa.
She proved too strong for Downend ABCs Mya Das in the final, winning on split decision. Club-mate Spooner, however, was won the wrong end of the judges' scores in the final of the 60kg final and had to settle for silver.
Staged for the first time since 2019, the Box Cup featured 174 boxers from seven different nations, including Poland and Cyprus. It was the first time the competition had been held since 2019 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mick Maguire, England Boxing’s competition and events manager, said: “The strength of women and girls boxing is growing all the time, as indicated by the huge amount of interest in this event.
“Places filled up quickly and the standard of the boxers was high. It is a competition which will continue to grow and is a great way to show young girls coming through what is possible.”
