UK Sport’s Director of Performance Dr Kate Barker highlights talent and teamwork as keys to gb Boxing’s success
UK Sport’s Director of Performance, Dr Kate Barker, has identified talent and teamwork as key factors in the success of GB Boxing over the last 15 years.
Her comments were made in guest Foreword she contributed to GB Boxing’s newly published Annual Review 2024-25, ‘The Pursuit of Progress‘ which can be read HERE.
In the Review, Dr Barker says: “Consistent medal success in recent decades has been made possible by both stellar talent in the ring and the passionate, committed and hard-working people around them.
“The culture and ethos of the programme is something I have long been impressed by. It truly is a family and like all good families it has its moments, but its people are always there for each other.”
The Foreword goes on to praise GB Boxing for the way it has been able to deliver sustained success over multiple Olympic Games, despite frequently having to build a new team each cycle as the medallists seeks pastures new in the professional ranks.
Dr Barker says: “GB Boxing has never left a stone unturned and is prepared to face up to the unique challenge of ‘going again’ time after time. Seeing the brutally honest review of the Paris cycle and hearing the plans for Los Angeles 2028 (LA28) gave us great confidence in our investment and I am pleased that it is bearing fruit already.”
In a wide-ranging piece, she goes on to praise GB Boxing for its work in the community and broader impact on society.
She adds: “GB Boxing is much more than a performance vehicle and its partnerships with mental health and homelessness charities in the Sheffield area have driven tangible social impacts. A sport that can make young people feel part of a family and encourage them to have big dreams and one that can act as a catalyst for positive wider societal change is a sport that we should all celebrate.”
‘In pursuit of progress’ covers the period 1 April 2024 – 31 March 2025 and includes the Paris 2024 Olympic Games where two boxers from the GB Boxing gym, Lewis Richardson (Team GB) and Cindy Ngamba (Refugee Olympic Team) won bronze medals. It goes on to focus on the progress of the World Class Programme (WCP) since then in developing and implementing its strategy for Los Angeles 2028 (LA28).
It also highlights GB Boxing’s achievements in international relations, through its leading role in establishing a new International Federation, World Boxing, and its impact in the community via its partnerships with two charities in South Yorkshire.
In addition to Dr Barker’s Foreword, the Review includes first-person contributions from GB Boxing’s Chair, Jason Glover, and Performance Director, Rob McCracken, who outlines the way the WCP is evolving into the LA28 Cycle and pays tribute to longstanding coaches, Dave Alloway and Lee Pullen, who retired in the early part of 2025.
McCracken explains: “When I look back on the last 12 months I can see several ways in which the adaptations we have made to the WCP are making a difference. We are now in a very positive place and looking forward to the rest of the cycle with optimism and confidence.”
On Alloway and Pullen, he adds: “Dave and Lee have made a huge contribution to GB Boxing and have been central to a period of unprecedented success for boxing in Great Britain, where at least one of them was in the corner for every one of the 15 medals won by Team GB boxers from London 2012 to Paris 2024.
“While we miss their presence in the gym, they were great sharing coaches who were brilliant at passing on knowledge, so their insight and know-how is retained within the WCP.”
‘The pursuit of progress’ is available at the GB Boxing website www.gbboxing.org.