24 July 2008
Knockout tickets go on sale
Tickets for one of the sporting highlights of
Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture year are to go on sale
tomorrow (Friday, July 25).
The city is to stage the European Senior Boxing
Championships 2008 from November 6-15 – the first major
post-Beijing Olympics tournament.
It will also be the first time the prestigious annual
championships, now in its 40th year, are staged in the
UK and further cements Liverpool’s position as the
nation's No 1 boxing city.
At 9am Friday, July 25 tickets go on sale for the finals at the
ECHO Arena Liverpool – the venue’s first boxing event, which could
also draw the biggest boxing crowd in the city’s history. (See
ticket details below)
David Price, Liverpool super heavyweight boxer and Captain of
the GB Beijing Olympics boxing squad, gave the event an immediate
boost by pledging to be there in November.
David, a Beijing gold medal hopeful and 2006 Commonwealth
champion, said: ‘’It’s fantastic for Liverpool to be staging these
championships and I will definitely be there – and maybe as a
competitor.’’
The 25-year-old, who is employed by Liverpool City Council, in
the UK's only local authority elite sporting scholarship programme,
added: ‘’Liverpool has given so much to the sport by producing so
many great champions and coaches to the many international
tournaments it stages. I’m sure the atmosphere for these finals,
with numerous Olympic champions and medallists competing, will be
extra special.’’
The 2008 European Boxing Championships will be staged by the
Amateur Boxing Association of England, in partnership with
Liverpool City Council and the European Amateur Boxing Association,
supported by UK Sport and the Northwest Regional Development Agency
(NWDA).
Liverpool secured the championships after developing an
unrivalled track record in hosting tournaments such as the Four
Nations and the World Cadet Championships to high profile English
internationals with the USA, Canada, Russia and Cuba.
The city also currently boasts more boxers involved with the
current England and Great Britain squads than any other UK city,
including London.
Councillor Warren Bradley Leader of Liverpool City Council,
whose great-grandfather Ike was the first Liverpudlian to fight for
a world title in the city, said: ‘’Liverpool’s passion for
boxing is legendary and the city has always been committed to
developing the sport and giving it the platform it deserves.
‘’To stage these championships is a great reward for the many
years of hard work in promoting and supporting boxing and it
underlines the importance of sport to our year as European Capital
of Culture. Hopefully our boxers will taste glory and put the icing
on the cake.’’
Peter Mearns, Executive Director of Marketing at the NWDA added:
“The NWDA is committed to ensuring that England’s Northwest is at
the forefront of staging international sporting events and we are
delighted to be able to support the European Senior Boxing
Championships. Liverpool boasts world-class facilities and it is
fitting that sport features so prominently in the city’s Capital of
Culture celebrations.
“The event demonstrates the enviable reputation that the region
has for hosting major sporting events, which is important ahead of
the 2012 London Olympics.”
Liverpoolis celebrating a year of sport
as part of its European Capital of Culture
celebrations.
As well as the European Senior Boxing Championships the city has
already hosted national and international tennis, yachting,
speedminton, table-tennis, karate, gymnastics, darts and squash
tournaments.
Sporting events still to come include:
- British Chess Championships : July 27 – August 9:
- National Table Tennis Grand Prix : August 16-17
- Honda Formula Stroke Race Series ’08 : August 16-17
- The World Firefighter Games : August 24 – September 2
- European Individual Open Chess Championships : September
5-14
- The finale of the Tour of Britain : September 14
- Lancashire v Kent LV County Cricket Championship : September
17-20
- BBC Sports Personality of the Year : December 14
- Liverpool is also home to a line up of Beijing-bound stars
including World champion gymnast Beth Tweddle and butterfly swimmer
Michael Rock
ENDS
European Senior Boxing Championships 2008 - Finals -
Saturday, November 15
TICKET DETAILS:
Price: £15 adults / £10 concessions.
Buy at: ECHO Arena box office, Kings Dock; Online
at file://www.accliverpool.com/whatson/index.asp
; Tel: 0844 8000 400.
NOTES:
The preliminary rounds for the European Senior Boxing Championships
2008 will be at the Greenbank Sports Academy from November 6-13.
Tickets to go on sale in September.
All bouts will consist of 4 x 2 minute rounds each with a one
minute rest in between rounds.
The finals on Saturday, November 15 will be staged from 7pm at the
ECHO Arena Liverpool. A total of 11 weight decision will be
contested.
Tournament website: file://www.liverpoolboxing.co.uk/
FREE PICTURE AVAILABLE BY EMAIL - ON
REQUEST:
David Price, Liverpool super heavyweight boxer and
Captain of the GB Beijing Olympics boxing squad,
and Councillor Warren Bradley, Leader of Liverpool
City Council, unveil the tickets for the European Senior Boxing
Championships 2008 outside the ECHO Arena Liverpool
For more information please telephone Michael Doran at
Liverpool Culture Company on 0151 233 6761 or 0780 145 3918. For
more details about Liverpool, European Capital of Culture 2008
please go to www.liverpool08.com