Wales’ top boxing coach believes it’s only a matter of time before the ‘sleeping giant’ of elite boxing in North Wales wakes up to its considerable potential.

National Boxing Coach, Tony Williams and Assistant National Coach Colin Jones travel from their South Wales bases to rubber stamp the accession of ten full coaches and 35 assistant coaches into the welsh coaching ranks at Sparta Gym, Prestatyn this weekend. The coaches will be put through their paces to demonstrate first aid, pad work and safe exercise techniques in a bid to gain official coaching qualifications.

The bumper crop of coaches might just herald a new dawn in North Wales boxing and the close attention of Wales’ top two coaches hints at the importance that WABA (Welsh Amateur Boxing Association) places on developing boxing talent in the region. One emerging pugilist forging a sterling reputation amongst the Welsh amateur ranks is 25 year old, super heavyweight Andrew Jones, who boxes for Saltney’s Deva Boxing Centre – a club that has been financially supported to the tune of £9,520 by the Sports Council for Wales. He is also supported by the North Wales Institute of Sport, which is a network of facilities, service providers and coaches that work together to ensure that elite and talented athletes based in North Wales are given the best possible chance to fulfil their potential.

National Boxing Coach, Tony Williams said,

"I think we could have a sleeping giant in North Wales boxing. The talent is there, with Andy Jones who did well at the Europeans in Liverpool and just got caught in the last round but was close to the Russian (Denis Sergeev, the beaten finalist). He’s a prospect. And two other boys from North Wales reached the UK final.

"I think these exams will do the world of good for boxing in North Wales. Obviously if you’ve got 30 boys in a gym you can’t coach them all on your own, so the lads will definitely benefit from having more coaches around. And this is the most people we’ve ever had going for coaching qualifications at one time.

"If you asked me about Strength and Conditioning a few years ago I couldn’t even spell it and it’s facilities like that, thanks to the Sports Council for Wales and especially the North Wales Institute of Sport for our North Wales boxers, that have really made the difference. We have gone from four or five golds a year a few years back to 39 this year."

Amongst the dazzling performances of Welsh boxers in 2008, Barry boy Daniel Chapman, stormed to gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, India at the tail end of last year and Andrew Selby, from the Neath village of Blaengwynfi, entered the history books as the first senior boxer from Wales to win a medal at the European Championships – a feat even Calzaghe didn’t manage.

Welsh boxers couldn’t ask for a more inspirational role model than Assistant National Coach, Colin Jones either. Jones the Punch was born 21 March 1959 in Gorseinon, Swansea and was a Welsh welterweight boxer, who represented Great Britain at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, Canada.

He was the youngest Britishboxer to qualify for the Olympic Games until Amir Khan appeared at the2004 Summer Olympics and was arguably the hardest punching welterweight of his generation, able to knock fighters out with a single shot from either hand.

There are around 100 WABA affiliated clubs throughout Wales, with around 4,600 members and officials.