Braid ABC hoping to ‘ring’ in the changes in expansion bid

From its humble beginnings back in 2004, the Ballykeel-based club has progressed steadly in terms of numbers, success and facilities, to the point where it is now preparing to host the Ulster Championships for the first time (see back page story).

Now, Braid ABC officials have big plans to expand the club’s facilities to cope with growing demand, with the overall aim of brining Olympic success to Ballymena to match that in Belfast of boxers Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlon, and the Coleraine rowers Alan Campbell, Peter Chambers and Richard Chambers.

And, to borrow a boxing term, they already have some influential people ‘in their corner’ after inviting a number of local politicians and Council representatives to a hugely successful open evening at the club’s Ballykeel base last week.

The event not only showed off the sterling work being carried out each week by a team of highly dedicated coaches and officials but also gave the club an opportunity to lobby for additional help and support in a sport that has been traditionally under-resourced and under-developed, despite Northern Ireland’s outstanding record in the sport at major championships.

Since its formation eight years ago – when the club took on the ‘Braid’ name synonymous with industry in Ballymena and adopted the famous sky blue colours worn by many Ballymena teams in idfferent sports – the club has built up a very strong competitive team of boxers.

In this short time the Braid club has picked up gold and silverware at each provincial championship attended at every level from junior novices to Senior championships.

Guests including Justice Minister David Ford, local MLAs Robin Swann and Paul Frew and Gary Boyd, Ballymena Borough Council’s Community Sports Development Officer, were shown around the Braid club’s headquarters.

At that time there were some 35 members training, giving an indication of the need for the club to expand capacity further.

Head coach John McLeister explains: “The situation has led to a huge problem with ourselves not being able to give our more senior boxers enough ring time and it hinders us from being able to host much needed sparring and squad training sessions from other clubs from Belfast, Antrim, Londonderry and beyond.

“We need to expand giving our boxers a critical competitive advantage by adding a second floor to our club which would allow us to erect a second boxing ring.

“This will allow junior and senior boxers use of the rings while strength and conditioning training as well as casual fitness users can continue their fitness and lifestyle training from the second floor vantage point.

“We do not want to lose our community approach and want the club to be accessible by those who consider sport to be a source of help against weight control, health and well being and mental health.

“The inclusion of a second floor will open so many more opportunities to us and will enable us to invite boxing clubs from across the province to conduct inter-club sparring and training sessions hence building strength from one another as well as bringing people from different backgrounds to our club and forming friendships.

“Recently the Northern Ireland Sports minister announced a cash injection of 3 million pounds for boxing in Northern Ireland. We want to show the ministers how a boxing club should be run and how it should feel, by that we believe that we have the correct formula as a boxing club as our club has a neutral training facility and is embraced by both sides of the community; the cross community work carried out at Braid ABC is exemplary.

“We pride ourselves that we have produced a sporting arena where we have had high levels of success both inside and out of the ring.

“Ballymena Borough council have facilitated and supported us and it is this partnership that must be modelled throughout the rest of Northern Ireland.

“Some clubs have their own clubs while others rent business premises - some have no running water and others have run down and sometimes sub-standard equipment.

“Braid ABC chose to engage with the council some time ago in order to provide a safe regulated system of continuous improvement.

“Whilst we are very pleased that Ballymena Borough council have been a good help we also feel there is more that can be done if we are to emulate the successes of Coleraine and Belfast in the recent summer Olympics, we to should focus on the prize that someday our sportsmen and woman should be able to show off their medals in an open top bus through Ballymena.

“We hope that Ballymena Borough council will help us as a sport to expand and become more flexible in our approach to training champion boxers.

“The ministers were told that Boxing needed a strategic review to ensure that money was available through local government to bring boxing in from the doldrums.

“Braid ABC see ourselves as a benchmark and continue to raise the bar by providing not only a training facility that can produce championship boxers but also a facility that can enhance and improve young lives transforming them through sport.

“We have many members each with their own stories whether it is health and lifestyle issues or mental health issues, we transform lives,” added John.