Boxing: Fighter returns home with title

Kyle Chen is welcomed back home after a successful title win in Taiwan by coach Rusty Porter and his Northland Boxing Gym stablemates.

Kyle Chen was undefeated on his way to winning his weight division at the President's Cup boxing tournament in Taiwan last month.

The 15-year-old Far North pugilist, who holds dual New Zealand and Taiwan citizenship, won all of his three bouts in the 75kg Senior High School Under-19 division; including winning the title fight which saw him matched up against one of the hardest opponents he's met in the ring this year.

Amongst a field of 13 in the division, Chen progressed directly to the quarter-final stage courtesy of a bye. He won his first bout and the ensuing semifinal on points comfortably on October 25.

The latter bout saw Chen delivering two eight counts in the first round and one in the second, although his opponent never gave up and kept on coming at Chen in the third round.

He contested the final on October 26, describing it as the "toughest battle" he's had in a long time.

"The boy was very strong," Chen said of his 18-year-old opponent, using the event to build up for the youth world championships later this year where he will represent Taiwan.

The Far North teenager was able to fall back on his fitness and experience to make it through the three three-minute rounds and emerge victorious.

The win in Taiwan caps off what's been a significant year for Chen in the ring, which includes winning his third New Zealand title and an Australian national open Golden Gloves title.

Chen also picked up a code award for boxing as well as the Excellence Award at the ASB Secondary School Sports Awards at the end of October (the latter presented to an athlete who excels in a sport not offered at secondary school level).

Last Friday he was presented with the Simon Bass Memorial Trophy as Kerikeri High School's overall sportsperson for 2016.

Chen is now undertaking high performance training once a month at the Super City Boxing Gym in Manukau - alongside Northland Boxing Gym stablemate Floyd Chadwick (from Honeymoon Valley) - and is well placed for selection to represent New Zealand at the 2017 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas next year.