Sean’s made a great start to his boxing career!

 
Sean Bolger plays football for Solva Under 15s and rugby for Haverfordwest in the same age group but at the moment he is focussing a great deal of effort into his training at The Yard Amateur Boxing Club in Letterston – and it is really paying off because he has already had seven bouts, winning five and only losing two on split decisions in Welsh Championship competitions which were very close indeed.
 
He has already been a Welsh Champion in his age and weight category and trainers Kenneth Owen and Rowley George, both very experienced in amateur boxing, are convinced that if he can maintain his current rate of progress he is going to go onto greater things.
 

Great family support

 
Giving him every support alongside his coaches are his parents, Katie and Eddie, who go to watch his bouts whenever possible - although mum admits that she gets very nervous and sometimes has to close her eyes if it looks as if the going is getting tough!
 
Eddie originally came from Ireland with his family at the age of 14. He stayed here and was held for a number of years as a flanker with St Davids RFC, where he was chosen as captain for three years after not understanding the rules about how to score when he reached these shores - and the family is completed by Sean’s younger brother Mikey, who plays as a flanker for Fishguard & Goodwick RFC and also Goodwick United AFC.
 

Other sports played

 
Sean got Eddie to take him to The Yard as a means of getting even fitter for his football as a midfielder with Solva AFC under 15s, coached by Gareth Thomas and dad, plus his rugby at Haverfordwest RFC in the same age group – and in rugby involved at county level.
 
“At Solva we are third in the table behind Hakin and Merlins Bridge, “ and so far I’ve scored five goals,” Sean told us, ‘and in rugby I play at No 8 and I’m captain at Haverfordwest, where our main rivals are Tenby and Aberystwyth.
 
“I played for St Davids at under 7s to under 13s levels but then we didn’t have enough players for this season so I went to Haverfordwest.”
 
Sean is also very involved in sports in Ysgol Penrhyn Dewi, enjoying tennis and coming second in the under 16s competition final in Cardiff, coached by school teacher Bruce Evans.

He is also enjoying basketball and being a sports ambassador to help the younger children.




 
 

Started to learn the ropes and was soon up and boxing

 
In his boxing, Sean trains three times a week with coaches Kenneth and Rowley (he would do more but for his commitments in his other sports) and like all newcomers he had to learn how to warm up and cool down, punch properly using the pads and heavy bags as targets, skipping, and eventually take part in sparring, closely watched by the coaches.
 
When they decided he was ready to take part in his first bout, again with his coaches and father involved in the decision-making, they applied to the Welsh Amateur Boxing Club for his record card, where all his bouts are recorded and signed by an official at the show, and had to take part in a medical first to make sure he was fit to go.


 

Off to a winning start . . .

 
“My first bout was in a show put on by Gwynfi ABC, near Port Talbot, and my opponent was Thomas Evans, who was actually from Gwynfi and had huge support from a very noisy home club so I was a bit nervous until the first bell went and from then on, I didn’t have time to think of anything but getting stuck in as before I knew it the three rounds had gone!
 
“Then there was the nervous wait whilst the three judges’ cards were collected by the referee, who told the MC who the winner was - and it was a fantastic moment when I heard my name announced as a unanimous points winner and then the sponsor presented me with my trophy, which still takes pride of place in my bedroom at home.
 

. . . A narrow defeat in the championships – but Welsh success followed

 

“From there I went straight into the Welsh novice finals at Sophia Gardens, in Cardiff, where all the boxers were fairly new to boxing and were in their first big competitions. In the category for my age, weight and experience I took on Ifan Evans, from Carmarthen, and I knew it was a close contest but hoped I had done enough to shade it. But I just missed out with a split decision where one judge gave me the verdict but the other two picked Ifan - so I had to settle for the silver medal.
 


“I must admit I was very disappointed but it spurred me on to work even harder and a year later I took on Ifan again at Sophia Gardens and boxed really well to win a unanimous points decision from all three judges - and was so proud to receive my Welsh vest, which is every boxer’s dream in their own country.
 


“Dad might be Irish but I think he was even prouder than I was - and so was mum! I’ve since boxed Ifan twice, one of the competitions being a Welsh Box Cup final and won them both so I think I had my revenge for the first defeat.”
 






 

And finally . . .

 
Sean’s only other loss also came at Sophia Gardens where he fought in a Box Cup in front of a large crowd. There were more experienced boxers there but Sean showed how much he’s improved before losing in a tight fight against Harley McGuire (England) - where his coaches and family were all there and thrilled with his performance despite another narrow defeat.
 
So now the New Year is here Sean and coaches will be looking for bouts where he can build on his excellent work so far and build his depth of experience.
 
It is good to report that Sean is more than the challenges ahead as he continues to manage his training in all three sports, but with an understandable commitment to his boxing because he knows how important fitness is when you are on your own against your opponent and there is no help from team mates like in football and rugby.
 
He is clearly a committed but very modest young man who shows maturity beyond his tender years and for PembrokeshireSport.co.uk it was a pleasure to pop up to The Yard and meet Sean Bolger and renew our acquaintance with dad Eddie and coaches Kenneth and Rowley, all of whom are carrying the Pembrokeshire Flag with distinction in Welsh Amateur Boxing!