Weekly Hit & Miss

Every Monday at Calacus PR we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.

HIT – ANTHONY JOSHUA REMEMBERS HIS ROOTS

Calacus was privileged to run the communications office for boxing at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Nicola Adams and Katie Taylor were two of the stars of the Games while Anthony Joshua announced himself as a global star and is now the world heavyweight champion.

But Joshua has never forgotten his roots and announced just before Christmas that he will make a substantial donation to help fund amateur boxing in Britain.

Boxing clubs have struggled during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns and have had no government support, leaving a vacuum which affects not only the sport but also the personal development for young boxers who benefit from the discipline and routine their clubs provide.

Joshua is under no illusion about how important boxing has been to his personal development: “Without grassroots boxing, there is no Anthony Joshua,” he said. “The doors to these gyms are always open to any kid from any background.

“Amateur clubs are in danger, they will go under. Without Finchley, I don’t know what I’d be doing now. Sean Murphy (Joshua’s trainer) says I’d be inside. I remember I got kicked off the Olympic squad in 2011 and I gave up on boxing.

“I started going back to my local area, I started smoking again. Sean rang my mum and said, “Where’s your son? He’s messing around. Get him back here to the gym.

“That shows how important it is not just to have the gyms open, but to have access to people from an older generation who can give that sense of wisdom, a sense of belonging and guidance. From the start of this year, the gyms have been struggling badly. That needs to change.

“This is a natural cause for me. I got in touch with Rob [McCracken] about it. My scheme will support the federations of English boxing, Scottish boxing, Welsh boxing who – when we donate this money to these federations – can distribute to the grassroots clubs that really need it.

“It's not just financial help. I will often try and motivate these kids by being among them, bringing my belts down and training with them.”

Gethin Jenkins, chairman of England Boxing, praised Joshua’s donation: “We are delighted and we thank Anthony for this much-needed financial support and for drawing attention to the role and support the clubs offer in their local communities and with it the need for greater government support to grassroots boxing clubs.”

MISS – IDAHO TRANSGENDER LAWS

Idaho’s lawmakers have been in the news for the wrong reasons for some time now.

House Bill 500, known as the ‘Fairness in Women’s Sport Act,’ was signed by Governor Brad Little in March to prevent transgender women from competing in women’s sport.

It states that if an athlete's sex is disputed, they must prove it by presenting a signed physician's statement based on ‘the student's reproductive anatomy, genetic makeup, or normal endogenously produced testosterone levels.’

Boise State student Lindsay Hecox, who is transgender, has filed a lawsuit to challenge the law, prompting it to be suspended by a U.S. District Judge while the case is heard.

Hecox wants to compete with the Boise State women's cross-country team but would be barred by Idaho law, even though the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rules allow it and has itself declared that the bill is “harmful to transgender student-athletes and conflicts with the NCAA’s core values of inclusivity, respect and the equitable treatment of all individuals.”

Hecox said: “I love running, and part of what I enjoy about the sport is building relationships with a team. I’m a girl, and the right team for me is the girls’ team. It means a lot to me that so many people are on my side and supporting me.”

Tennis icon Billie Jean King, World Cup champion Megan Rapinoe and WNBA legend Candace Parker were among the more than 175 athletes who joined Athlete Ally and the Women's Sports Foundation in signing a brief filed by Lambda Legal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit just before Christmas.

The brief highlights the athletes' beliefs in the importance of equal opportunity for girls and women to participate in sports at all levels.

“There is no place in any sport for discrimination of any kind,” said King. “I’m proud to support all transgender athletes who simply want the access and opportunity to compete in the sport they love. The global athletic community grows stronger when we welcome and champion all athletes - including LGBTQI+ athletes.”