The Bird’s Nest Boxing Academy, which will be one of the four major youth sports training centres, has opened its doors under professional leadership of Zsolt Erdei, Minister of State for Sport and Youth Affairs István Simicskó announced at a press conference held jointly with the Hungarian Boxing Federation.
The founding of the Academy is an important and joyous event, the Minister of State said at the opening ceremony organised in the Halassy Olivér Sports Stadium in Újpest, Budapest. Boxing has become one of the 16 branches of sport of high priority on the strength of results and performance.
The Minister of State pointed out that due to the enhanced funding received compared to the earlier yearly budget of HUF 70 million, by the end of June 2014 boxing will receive an annual budget of HUF 524 million and by 2020, Hungarian boxing can count on having received a total of HUF 5.7 billion in funding.
“Boxing has been provided a huge opportunity by the state and we will make the best of it”, President of the Hungarian Boxing Federation Sándor Csötönyi said. The funding provides an opportunity to increase the number of young people involved in the sport, but the goal and expectation is that the improved conditions shall also appear in improved results.
19 young boxers started working at amateur and professional world champion Zsolt Erdei’s academy. From now on they will train in the Bird’s Nest and study in Budapest, but their points and places will go to their original clubs.
Mayor of Újpest Zsolt Wintermantel recalled that when he was contacted by Zsolt Erdei, they quickly agreed that the district would host the academy.
(MTI/State Secretariat for Sport and Youth Affairs)
