With Covid-19 rules and regulations preventing the boxers from competing or taking part in collective training, the athletes found themselves at a loose end. While planning how they could keep engaged and active, the club learned that they had to leave their rented premises in the centre of Derrylin.

 

Since then, club coaches Sean Crowley and Greg Copeland have been on the hunt for new premises and a fundraising campaign last month set the wheels in motion for the club to look for a new training camp for their athletes.

 

Sean Crowley and 10 of his boxers completed a 100km run during March and fellow coach Greg Copeland undertook a 3000 sit-up challenge, and with some money outstanding, The Erne Boxing Club hope to have raised in the region of £4000.

 

“The challenge in March gave the opportunity for the boxers to get themselves motivated and to keep themselves active at the same time while raising money for the club. It was very beneficial,” says Sean.

 

“What we are hoping to do is lease land on a long-term basis of the Council and then build our own steel shed. To do the groundworks, build a shed, install plumbing for toilets amongst other things, we think will come to around £20,000. This plan will be down to the Council approving our plan to lease land but failing that we will have to source commercial premises from a private landlord again which is quite expensive.

 

“It was a bad time during the Covid as it is very difficult to arrange viewings. People are reluctant to come out and meet you to show you around places and that is very understandable. On the flip side of that, with no training permitted for anyone other than elite athletes, it has happened at a good time.”

 

With the Northern Ireland Executive allowing some sports to resume training outdoors again this week, The Erne Boxing Club remain in limbo if they will get the green light to start up again.

 

“Like every boxing club in the country, we are keen to start again and resume training outdoors but we are waiting on clarification that we are going to be getting the go ahead.

 

“The Erne Boxing Club, although we are affiliated to the Ulster Provincial Boxing Council which is part of the all-Ireland governing body, may not give us the go ahead to train outdoors even though it is permitted by the Executive. They may wait until the whole of the island can train outdoors.

 

“We are very much hoping that we will be able to resume training but we will have to wait and get a few matters clarified first. If not, we will do some more running programmes or other incentives to keep people interested and active.”