Record

CodeDS/UK/1964
NameSchools Amateur Boxing Association (SABA); 1946 -; British boxing association
Dates1946 -
BiographyOn July 19th 1946 a largely attended meeting decided to form a Schools Amateur Boxing Association and in December 1946 the first national finals took place at the Dome in Brighton. By 1953 the Schools Championships had become so popular that the nationwide entry totalled 53,000 boys with spectators (children, teachers, relatives and fans) almost filling the vast Wembley Arena.

From the early 1960's challenges to the sport of boxing emanated from many quarters. Basing their arguments on the medical conditions suffered by some boxers in the professional ranks, who had quite literally fought for their supper following the second world war, the less demanding amateur code suffered due to ill informed comparisons and was subsequently removed from the school curriculum.

Throughout the 70's, 80's and 90's amateur boxing continued to flourish with boxers, now training at established boxing clubs, being chosen to represent their school in the SABA Championships where victory in the national final was viewed as the pinnacle of a junior boxers career.

SABA continued to run their annual championships which produced many noted champions including Richie Woodhall, Amir Khan and James Degale, our most recent Olympic medallist but the abandonment of boxing as an accepted competitive school sport required a complete re-think and SABA rose to the challenge. After a concerted campaign SABA were solely responsible for gaining recognition for the sport of boxing as an assessed activity at AS and A level in Physical Education.

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