More than 350 boxers will compete throughout the state in the 2013 New Jersey Golden Gloves (NJGG) Amateur Boxing Championship.
A tournament schedule includes nine preliminary bouts with ages ranging from 8 to 34 in their respective age divisions. This marks the first year to include the Junior Golden Gloves division into the tournament so that the younger athletes have the opportunity to compete on a much larger scale. Last year, approximately 200 boxers competed in the age range of 17-34, which proves that the popularity of boxing continues to grow. The open class boxers and selected up-and-comers from the other three divisions will advance to the state finals on April 20 at the Prudential Center’s Ameri- Health Pavilion in Newark.
Visit www.njgoldengloves.com for ticket information. Tickets for each event range from $15 to $35 for general admission seats.
Dan Doyle, president of New Jersey Golden Gloves, said that 2013 marks the second year that the finals are being held at the Prudential Center in Newark.
“We are very excited to be holding our Tournament of Champions at the Prudential Center, giving our amateur boxers a chance to box in a large arena much like the pros,” Doyle said in a press release. “These young athletes have dedicated at least the better part of a year to training for this prestigious tournament.”
NJGG is a nonprofit organization that promotes amateur boxing, runs local tournaments and sends the state’s best boxers to the Golden Gloves of America’s national tournament each year. Doyle said many of the boxers are young men from areas around the state that have been hardest hit by cuts to community programs and the economic downturn. The clubs they join provide these young men and women with a low-cost training program that keeps them focused on a positive goal while offering a safe environment. “If it weren’t for these gyms and the volunteer coaches, I would hate to think of what the alternatives would be for many of our athletes,” Doyle said. “Through boxing, their frustration and aggression has a constructive outlet.”
Local businesses, boxing enthusiasts, friends and family members support these athletes by attending the tournaments leading to the finals. Become a tournament sponsor by making a tax-deductible donation to the New Jersey Golden Gloves Scholarship Fund.
Tournament schedule (locations, dates and times are subject to change. Visit www.njgoldengloves.com for updates):
March 9, 6 p.m.
Ibn Ali Boxing Club
699 Springfield Ave., Newark;
March 15, 7:30 p.m.
Hudson Catholic High School
790 Bergen Ave., Jersey City;
March 16, 7 p.m.
New Brunswick Boxing Club
121 Jersey Ave., New Brunswick;
March 23, 7 p.m.
Christian Brothers Academy
850 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft;
March 30, 7 p.m.
Middletown P.A.L.
70 Murphy Road, Middletown;
April 6, 3 p.m.
P.A.C.B.O. Boxing Club
JFK Rec Center, W. Kinney Ave.,
Newark;
April 12, 7:30 p.m.
I.B.E.W. 164
205 Robin Road, Paramus;
April 13, 2 p.m.
Global Boxing Gym
5711 Tonnelle Ave., North Bergen;
April 19, 7:30 p.m.
I.C.A.T. Boxing
1304 Brielle Ave., Ocean Township;
The Finals, April 20, 7 p.m.
Prudential Center AmeriHealth Pavilion
25 Lafayette Ave., Newark.