Geraldton trio prepare to go toe-to-toe with Australia’s best at Schools Boxing Championships

Three local boxers will be heading over east to represent the State at the Australian Schools Boxing Championships starting next week. The championships, organised annually by Boxing Australia, serve as a platform for young athletes from across the country to showcase their boxing prowess and compete for national recognition. Frauke Rawlings and Shareef Mohammad, both from Skybox Gym in Geraldton, will join forces with Eric Kyanga from Peacocks Boxing Gym to compete against the nation’s finest pugilists in Adelaide from July 5 to 8. These promising athletes, aged between 16 and 18, have had a busy fight card amassing 15 fights combined, with their selection into the Boxing WA State team a testament to their hard work so far. Rawlings, a 16-year-old rising star, has become known for her lightning-fast jabs and nimble footwork and is determined to make her mark on the national stage. “It’s a great result, all the hours in the gym and all the travel, to be selected to represent your State makes it all worthwhile and it’s a great opportunity to compete with the best boxers in Australia,” she said. Mohammad, 17, will be in the lightweight division having proved to be a tough opponent to break down, with decent power to match. Completing the trio is Kyanga and the 18-year-old has quickly risen to the top of Peacock’s gym stables and is one of the busiest fighters in the region. “Eric’s had 18 fights in only a year-and-a-half of boxing, making him the busiest boxer in Geraldton,” coach Jake Peacock said. “In his last six fights he has fought the Aussie champ twice, the senior State 86kg champ, the runner-up senior 86 and 80kg champ and the South Australian youth rep. “He has fought the best in Australia in his division and I know he can match it with them.”