Sports minister Tracey Crouch praises boxing

Ms Crouch lauded the sport for its links between grassroots and elite boxing in a Ministerial Foreword she contributed to GB Boxing's Annual Review 2016-17, ‘Towards Future Success', which highlights the achievements of the organisation that manages the World Class Performance Programme for boxing.

She also praised members of the GB boxing squad for their work in the community, having met them last year at the House of Commons while they promoted the British Lionhearts in the Community project. According to the report, the BLITC created 12 new boxing hubs in London and engaged with 2,321 people in less than 12 months.

"It filled me with pride to hear the boxers speak about how honoured they were to be giving something back to the sport," she said.

"Boxing has become one of Britain's most successful sports in its ability to deliver elite success, increase grassroots participation and bring a wide range of benefits to people and communities.

"Having seen what the team has achieved in the last nine years and the most recent 12 months, I am very hopeful that when Tokyo 2020 comes around we will once again be celebrating more success for Great Britain in the boxing ring."

After winning three medals at Rio 2016, three-quarters of the team left amateur boxing to join the professional ranks, including medallists Nicola Adams, Joe Joyce and Joshua Buatsi.

Despite this loss, a new group of athletes have won 12 medals at three major championships since Rio. The Review explains how GB's boxing talent pathways have managed to regenerate the squad and enable to deliver success at major tournaments.

GB Boxing's Chairman Steven Esom said: "The WCPP is essentially a finishing school for boxers developed by clubs and coaches in the home nation systems and we could not be successful without their superb work in producing such high quality talent.

"The foundations for future success are in place and, as long as we stick to the principles that have made us successful then I am confident that as we move from the Rio Cycle to the Tokyo cycle we can look back with pride and move forward with confidence."

Sportsbeat 2018