ABA Welsh champions train in a lock-up garage

The Maesgeirchen Amateur Boxing Club has been training in a lock-up garage on the Bangor housing estate for the past six years.

Coach Brian Williams, who has produced a number of champions in his 30-year career as trainer, feels they are failing the keen young boxers on the estate.

He says that as well as producing champions, the club keeps youngsters off the street in an estate which is among the most deprived in the county.

I can guarantee that if we had a proper place, we'd have world champions here Jim Stenson, boxing coach

"The garage is attached to the youth club, and its much too small," he said.

"I have been producing champions for 30 years - including Commonwealth silver medallist, David Davies.

"Sportsmen have to have proper facilities to learn, or they can't go any further than a certain level.

"Despite these premises we have produced seven amateur Welsh champions, but they could go much further if they had a proper place to train."

When the club started out they had a wooden centre outside the youth club, but it was pulled down by Gwynedd council, and nothing was built to replace it.

"They said we could use the new part of the youth club, but we were shoved into the garage - we even had to move a minibus out of it before we started!" he says.

The makeshift ring where boxers train is much too small

On some evenings, up to 17 young fighters cram into the small space which is dominated by a makeshift carpeted ring.

There is just enough room to hang punch bags from the roof and rest weights and other equipment against the wall.

Pride

Now, some of the youngsters say they are losing interest because of the situation.

Tim Roberts, 15, from Coedmawr is a Welsh amateur champion, but says he is missing out on big international championships because of the lack of facilities.

"People are against boxing because it is a contact sport.

"But it keeps people off the street and gives them pride.

"Everyone puts a lot of effort in here but you can only do so much in the end."

"In south Wales, councils give them proper places to train because it is respected there," he added, citing Johnny Owen and Joe Calzaghe as heroes.

World champions

"We are knocking our heads against a brick wall," says former coach Jim Stenson who helps train the fighters.

"But, I can guarantee that if we had a proper place, we'd have world champions here."

"We have been offered the use of the youth club but it is closed over the summer, when we need it most, and we do not have the keys," added Mr Williams.

"Another offer has come from the Healthy Living Centre opposite us, but the building isn't suitable and we would have to put up and dismantle the equipment every time we used it.