A COMMUNITY sports club which has been described as a “lifeline” to those who attend it has been celebrating "massive" success.
Members and coaches at Argo Boxing Club have been celebrating huge wins after several members brought home gold and silver medals during competitive championship competitions.
The volunteer-run club is currently based at The Phoenix Centre after being made homeless last year but is in the process of obtaining its own premises again.
Eddie Wilkie, head coach, said: “For a wee club like the Argo Boxing Club to come from a deprived area like Drumchapel, the success it’s achieved is amazing, especially when we’ve not got our own gym.
“We entered boys into recent championships, and we came away with eight gold medals and two silver medals.
“I’m just dead proud of them all. I’m so proud of the hard work the boys put in and the success they’ve all achieved.”
Eddie, who is from Maryhill, has been coaching at Argo, which was set up in 1973, for ten years.
The 50-year-old said: “I’ve loved every minute of it. I used to do a bit of boxing myself and then I ended up with a back injury and I had to give the sport up.
“I went on to do other things and then I started coaching, but I love it. I love seeing the boys growing and getting more confident, getting a bit of structure into their lives, becoming positive adults.
“I think it’s a lifeline for them. It stops them from getting into trouble, it gives them a bit of discipline, and it gives them a purpose.
“In Drumchapel, there’s not really much for them to do, so that’s their main focus and I think that’s why they do so well, and it gets them connected with other like-minded youths that want to better themselves. They love it.”
Argo runs ladies, children’s and men’s classes and charges £1 for kids to attend and £2 for adults.
Eddie said: “It's all volunteers that run Argo. They’re constantly putting in hard work.
“We’ve got a team of people that don’t do the coaching, who do all the behind-the-scenes stuff like the paperwork and trying to raise funds for different competitions and stuff. And then you’ve got the coaches themselves who work there three times a week as well as weekends when the competitions are on and taking the boys to fights.”
Peter Paton, a senior boxer at Argo, won the senior belt at the Scottish Championships, which has given him entry into the British Championships, and possibly the Commonwealth Games.
Meanwhile, schoolboy boxer Gregor Hall and youth boxer Patrick Paton have both qualified to get selected for the Tri-National British Championships.
Patrick was also recently selected for the Boxing Scotland Elite group and travelled to America to represent his country. The teen will also be travelling to Hungary to box for Scotland in an international tournament.
Eddie said: “It’s massive achievements – especially coming from the area they do and to be representing their country.”
To find out more or to get in touch, visit the Argo Boxing Club Facebook page.
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