Blow for champ's boxing gym plan

Colin Jones says the fight for a new premises will continue

Plans to build a new boxing gym at the club where ex-European champion Colin Jones threw his first punches have been dealt a blow.

Penyrheol Amateur Boxing Club near Swansea is raising £103,000 to replace its current "unsuitable" premises.

A £35,000 grant was secured earlier this year but a second grant for £35,000 has just been turned down.

Mr Jones said the fight for a new gym would continue and he was confident the necessary funds would be raised.

The club is currently based in a small concrete and corrugated iron building which Mr Jones said had "outlived its time".

He said it was important for the gym to survive for the sake of the community.

The club is now applying for a grant through a community regeneration scheme operated by the assembly government.

Split decision

"We'll just keep plugging away. If it comes, it comes and if it doesn't we're uncertain what avenue we're going to go down," said Mr Jones, who is involved with the gym in a variety of roles including chairman and coach.

"I'm still confident we're going to get there but you never know with these grants."

Mr Jones started his boxing career at the club at the age of nine when it opened.

He went on to fight for the vacant WBA world title against Milton McCrory. The first fight ended in a draw but Mr Jones lost on a split decision in a rematch in Las Vegas.

He had one further world title fight but was stopped by Don Curry in four rounds.