GB Boxing to send boxers to compete in upcoming Grand Prix tournament in Czech Republic
TWELVE boxers from Great Britain will attend the upcoming Grand Prix tournament in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic from 4th-7th May 2023.
The competition will be the fifth GB Boxers have attended this year as preparations continue ahead of the first Paris 2024 Olympic qualifier later this year.
The squad will be made up of eight men and four women and includes super-heavyweight Delicious Orie who will be stepping through the ropes for the first time this year.
Orie said: “This is what I prepare and train for. I’m excited.
“In the last year I’ve been able to gain so much experience both inside and outside the ring. I’ve had more exposure and I’ve been able to learn how to deal with that and I feel that’s an essential step for me to go to the next level.
“With each competition or camp I’ve been too, I’ve seen progress in myself and I have to maintain that as I look ahead to the European Games.
Also competing for the first time this year is Wales’ 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, Rosie Eccles.
The welterweight was last in action at the European Championships
Eccles said: “I’m just happy to get out there and box and get some competition preparation in ahead of the Olympic qualifier in June.
“Preparation has been amazing. We’ve had camps in Italy and then America and we had gym bouts out there which was good as it’s the most competitive you can get in a spar and then we’ve come back into the gym in Sheffield and had countries like Turkey and Sweden visit.
Eccles will be joined by three other women in Usti nad Labem.
They are Demie-Jade Resztan who will be making the step up to light-flyweight, featherweight Elise Glynn and lightweight Gemma Richardson.
All three won gold at their last tournaments with Resztan’s coming at the Gee Bee less than two weeks ago whilst Glynn and Richardson returned from the Cesme tournament as champions just a matter of days ago.
GB Boxing will also enter two light-middleweights, Harris Akbar and Garan Croft as well as two light-heavyweights, Ramtin Musah and Taylor Bevan, for this week’s competition.
Completing the squad is flyweight Hamza Mehmood, light-welterweight Joe Tyers and featherweight Jack Dryden.
Performance Director Rob McCracken said: “The Grand Prix provides us with another opportunity to have our boxers compete and continue to build momentum in what has so far been a busy 2023.
“This will be the fifth tournament we’ve entered this year and alongside the training camps both abroad and in Sheffield at the UK Sports Institute we’ve attended this is the next step in building towards the first Olympic qualifier for Paris 2024 which is now less than two months away.”
“With this Olympic cycle being a year shorter than usual, it was vital that we gave our boxers as many opportunities to test and expose themselves against a variety of styles and opponents to give them the best chance to succeed.
The twelve boxers will represent England and Wales at the Grand Prix. The full team is:
| Boxer | Weight Class | Country |
| Demie-Jade Resztan | 50kg – Light-flyweight | England |
| Hamza Mehmood | 51kg – Flyweight | England |
| Jack Dryden | 57kg – Featherweight | England |
| Elise Glynn | 57kg – Featherweight | England |
| Gemma Richardson | 60kg – Lightweight | England |
| Joe Tyers | 63.5kg – Light-welterweight | England |
| Rosie Eccles | 66kg – Welterweight | Wales |
| Harris Akbar | 71kg – Light-middleweight | England |
| Garan Croft | 71kg – Light-middleweight | Wales |
| Ramtin Musah | 80kg – Light-heavyweight | England |
| Taylor Bevan | 80kg – Light-heavyweight | Wales |
| Delicious Orie | 92+kg – Super-heavyweight | England |
The results of all the bouts involving boxers from Great Britain will be posted on GB Boxing’s social media channels and at https://gbboxing.org.uk/.
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