Basingstoke boxer earns place on national squad (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Basingstoke boxer earns place on national squad

4:00pm Saturday 2nd March 2013 in Sport By John Boyman

BASINGSTOKE amateur heavyweight Greg Bridet is dreaming of the Olympics after being selected to join the Great Britain Development Boxing Squad.

The 23-year-old from Eastrop was singled out by the powers that be after finishing fifth at the elite Amateur Boxing Association finals and moving up to fifth in the national rankings.

He attended five assessment sessions and two camps, impressing the coaches enough to earn himself a place on the British squad.

Bridet said: “It was the best feeling ever when I got the call telling me I was on. Everything I have done since I started boxing was aimed towards this.”

The former Harriet Costello School pupil will begin training with the national coaches in early April, spending every other weekend training at the English University of Sport in Sheffield.

“I'm really looking forward to training in Sheffield,” he added. “It's just going to be a case of going up there and listening. I'm going to be like a sponge and absorb everything, even if I don't agree, because I know these are the best trainers out there.”

If he is to realise his dream of competing at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, Bridet must force his way into the elite Podium Squad, who train full-time in Yorkshire.

“Hopefully as I hit my performance targets and improve, I will be entered into more international bouts,” he said. “If I was to impress there, I might be put into the podium squad.”

“The 2016 Olympics is my aim. That is the point of the squad. We are supposed to be the up and coming fighters.”

Bridet made his England debut in his home town during last week's charity event run by the Rotary Club of Basingstoke Deane - but he lost out on points to Swedish opponent Gabriel Richards.

“It was my first England vest and to fight in Basingstoke was a very special moment,” Bridet said. “It would have been nice to get the win but it was not to be.”

Bridet's next aim is this year's ABA championships - and he is determined to go one better than he did last year by winning the prestigious competition.

“I got to the final last year but did not get the decision, so I really want to win this time around,” he said. “There are a couple of good guys in there, including the guy who beat me last year and the 2010 winner, but I think I can do it.”