Former champion on a boxing mission
FORMER Australian lightweight champion Dale Artango quipped he won’t stop coaching until he has trained 10 world champions – a goal many would consider unachievable.
Still, it would take a brave man to doubt him.
Artango, who was one of Brisbane’s most favourite boxers during the ‘80s, is on a mission to turn Logan’s young boxers into world beaters.
After spending a couple years at Logan PCYC, Artango has taken charge of the Shock Boxing gym at Woodridge from Rob de Lange.
To start with, Artango has about a dozen aspiring boxers under his command, but the 44-year-old father-of-three said there was plenty of room for more.
“This is an impressive facility and something I’ve been looking for,” he said.
“I want to see all my boxers go on to state, national and international level and given the ideal surroundings and the support I’ve got from the Booran Park Neighbourhood Community Centre, I’m pretty sure we can do something positive for the community.”
After a stellar boxing career which spanned more than 10 years, Artango said it was his desire to give back to the sport he loves which made him take up coaching.
“Boxing has been great to me,” he said.
“I’ve met so many great people and it has given me the opportunity to see places I would never have got to seen if it wasn’t for boxing.
“Boxing is my passion and what I love doing, and it’s great I can now pass on my experiences to someone and hopefully help them in their lives.”
Artango, who resides at Woodridge, made his professional debut on March 19, 1984, and went on to register 18 consecutive wins before losing to Sakad Petchyindee in the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation lightweight title fight.
His most memorable victory was the Australian lightweight title stoush against Graeme Brooke, the nephew of the late Lionel Rose.
In what was once judged by Fist magazine as the ‘hardest fight’ in a period of 25 years, the two warriors went at each other hammer-and-tongs for 12 brutal rounds before Artango was declared the winner on points.
Anyone interested in joining the club can contact Dale on 0423 721 695 or turn up to training any day between Monday and Thursday at 5pm.
The gym is located at Booran Park Neighbourhood Community Centre on Pendrey Court, Woodridge.
