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A young Rodney boxer brought home a gold medal from the National Junior and Cadet Championships, held in Tauranga earlier this month.
Dominic Pratt, 13, fought in the cadet bantam 56kg division, winning the three round final in a split decision.
While this was Pratt’s first appearance at the nationals, he has already made his mark as the Auckland champion in his division for two years in a row. He says he hopes to make it three next year.
The Rodney College Year 9 student says he started boxing three years ago, after being bullied at school while living in Whangarei.
“Dad joined me up to the Whangarei Boxing Club and I really enjoyed the training and hard work that goes in to being a good boxer,” he says.
Since moving to Wellsford, Pratt has been training with Fili Maka, father of Olympian Magan Maka.
He trains for about an hour a day, six days a week. As well as sparring practice, which focuses on improving his technique, the sessions are also about fitness and strength training.
Pratt has set his sights on one day winning a NZ Boxing Golden Gloves title, as well as representing NZ at the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
“I like the discipline of having to do stuff, even if you don’t want to, but knowing that you have to do it if you want to do good. You see champions doing the same hard training and that keeps me motivated.”
