Birmingham 2022: ‘Bright future’ for Team England after claiming eight medals

England’s Team Leader for boxing, Darren Chapple, says he takes ‘great heart’ for the future, as well as satisfaction from the present, after a haul of eight medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games – the most by any nation.

The Three Lions were a little disappointed to come away with no more than two gold medals – won by Lewis Williams and Delicious Orie – as Demie-Jade Resztan, Kiaran MacDonald and Gemma Richardson all lost their final bouts.

But Chapple felt there were a host of positives to be drawn from the competition at the NEC, where Northern Ireland topped the boxing medal table with five gold medals, while fellow home nations Scotland claimed three places on top of the podium and Wales two.

“Overall, to sit here at the end of the Games with eight gold medals is a terrific achievement from the squad, especially when it is a first major tournament for some of them,” he said.

“At the Gold Coast we made history in winning nine medals and six golds, and while we might not have quite matched that this time, the new blood coming through and the boxers we have, shows that the Talent Pathway set-up established a few years ago is now starting to bear fruit.

“You always have to have one eye on the future and I think, in that respect, things are looking very bright. The exploits of this team are only going to inspire the next generation even more.

“Look at Savannah Stubley and Sameenah Toussaint… they have only been on the GB Boxing squad a month or so and one has gone home with a bronze medal and the other was only one bout away.

“On another day there might have been some different decisions in some bouts going through the rounds, and in others we had tough draws, boxing people who had won World and Olympic medals.

“You also have to say that other countries for upping their games, with India and the other home nations doing well, so congratulations to them on that.

“But whatever the result for each boxer, it’s been a great experience for them of the multi-games format, and what it involves and takes, which should serve them well both in future Commonwealth Games and in the Olympics.”

Chapple was also keen to thank those involved in helping to support the England Team and all the nations who took part in the boxing at Birmingham 2022.

He added: “The support we have had from the Team England staffs has been fantastic, and the non-sport specific volunteers have made these Games so special, being brilliant throughout.

“The home crowds have also been superb at every single session, not just giving our England boxers huge support, but for boxers all around the Commonwealth.

“They made it so that all countries, no matter their size and boxing history, were made to feel equally welcome throughout the competition, which was great to see.”

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