Rising star punching above his weight

Beating an Australian champion at his own sport has already provided teenage Busselton boxer Lindon Colbung a career highlight.

The 16-year-old took out the international Golden Gloves tournament, held in Brisbane last year, when he beat Alex Popovic in the 63kg weight division.

The Year 11 student has also been chosen as the January Busselton Freight Rising Sports Star award winner after being nominated by his club, Dennings Boxing Gym in Bunbury.

While taking a break from boxing, Lindon said he would return to training soon, which involved training six times a week for about 16 hours.

Inspired by coach Peter Stokes and his late grandfather who was a boxer, Lindon said he enjoyed the people involved in the sport and considered them his second family.

“Boxing is where my heart is,” he said.

“In Bunbury and Busselton boxing doesn’t get much attention, people just see it as full contact, but really it is incredibly skilful. You need a lot of skills. It’s not just physical, but it is body and mind demanding,” he said.

Lindon said Dennings was the third gym he had worked with and had been picked out by Stokes who wanted to train him along with seven other fighters at the Bunbury gym.

His dream was to train hard, get some fights under his belt and make the Golden Gloves, where his family travelled to watch him fight.

He said the fight in Brisbane was evenly matched, with his opposition believed to be trained at former world boxing champion Kostya Tszyu’s gym.

“It was clear I was more of the attacker and I landed more punches,” Lindon said.

Stokes said Lindon was a great kid and a pleasure to train.

“He’s having some time off but I hope he will be back fairly soon.”

The Rising Sports Star awards are supported by the Busselton Dunsborough Times.

For a nomination form email editor@bdtimes.com.au or visit the Busselton Dunsborough Times’ office in Queen Street.