Kaye Has A Silver Medal And Eye Of The Tiger

New South Wales institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Kaye Scott has returned home from the world boxing championships in India with a prized silver medal – and the fierce belief she boasts the qualities that are needed to fight her way onto the podium at next year’s Paris Olympic Games.

Scott finished the championships as runner up to Russia’s Anastasiia Demurchian, and while admitting her performance in the gold medal bout wasn’t her best, she was philosophical about her campaign and what it means for her plan to compete in Paris.

“I don’t know exactly what the reason was behind it, but in sport you always need to bring you’re ‘A’ game,” was Scott’s unflinching assessment. “And Anastasiia certainly did.

“Otherwise, I was happy with my overall performance. I was extremely pleased to defeat Mozambique [Alcinda Panguane] because she was the silver medallist at last world championships, and considered by many as potentially the toughest fighter to beat in New Delhi.

“I defeated her at the Commonwealth Games – by split decision – so I knew it was possible for me to win. When I fought her [at these world championships] I thought to myself ‘if don’t beat her now, I won’t make the medal rounds.’ When I beat her, it secured a medal.”

The belief that’s driving Scott will be a good ally while she continues her journey towards Paris, which includes this August’s national championships in Perth and then the Pacific Games – which double as the Oceania trials – in Samoa.

“It builds the mental fortitude that’s needed,” she said. “The world championships were massive for my build up to Paris. Winning the medal in New Delhi solidified everything in my mind: ‘I belong here’; ‘I can beat those top girls’; ‘I’m deserving’ . . . ‘I have the skills.’

Indeed, such is Scott’s focus on Paris 2024, she was back at the NSWIS gym just one day after returning from New Delhi for what strength and conditioning coach, Billy Macklin, insisted would be a light strength session.

“Now I just need to put in the physical work that’s needed, and I’ll weave that and my inner belief together,” she said. “I’ll concentrate on getting that Paris spot and working even harder to get myself on the podium.”

Scott was ecstatic to compete at a world championship in which Australia finished 10^th out of 65 competing nations after she and Caitlin Parker secured two silver medals, and Emma-Sue Greentree a bronze.

“To get two silver and a bronze was a mammoth effort,” said Scott. “Caitlin and I have been in the national team together for a long time, and it takes a long time to yield the results we did.”

However, the 38-year-old, who fought in the first female bout staged in NSW after the government legalised the sport under the Combat Sports Bill of 2008, has yet another battle looming outside of the ring.

The International Boxing Association’s age restriction.

Scott was horrified to learn at the Women’s Boxing Congress staged in New Delhi during the championships that women aged 40 and over wouldn’t be allowed to fight at the next one.

“They spoke at the congress about an increase in the female prize money which would match the males at the next world championships,” she said. “That’s great, but when I thought about it, I realised, technically, under the IBA rules, I won’t be eligible for another world championships.”

Rather than simply stew on what Scott thought was an unfair ruling, she expressed her concerns to the congress on the rest day before her gold medal bout.

“I understand the medical aspect, and that maybe once you hit 40 you need to have a medical. But, if you don’t have any problems I don’t see the problem.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS