Press Coverage – Lian He Wan Bao, September 2010
English translation
Main Headline: Lawyer by day, boxer by night
29 year old Lee Xianwei is a lawyer without any background in boxing, but he has since trained for 3 months and up to 54 hours in total, in preparation for the upcoming White Collar Boxing competition in September, organized by the local sports company, Vanda Promotions. It is Mr Lee’s first time competing in such a competition. He talks about his bruises and how clients and colleagues think it’s very interesting that he is participating in this event.
In total, 16 competitors are taking part in the event, and they are all are required to undergo 3 months of intensive training at the Vanda Boxing ring 3 times a week. Xianwei will find out who he will be competing in tomorrow at the weigh-in.
Subhead 1: White Collar Boxing participants are all Professionals
The participants in this year’s white collar boxing contest are all professionals – Lawyers, Marketing directors, Auditors. White collar boxing originated in the US in the 1990s with white collar boxers taking to boxing as a form of exercise and to stay fit. Vanda Promotions brought the sport to Singapore 4 years ago. Apart from Singapore, they also organize similar events in Hong Kong and Melbourne. This year’s event to be held on the 17 Sept at the Suntec Convention Centre has attracted 1200 spectators.
Subhead 2: Female Boxers not afraid of getting hurt.
White collar boxing is not just for men but for women too. 30 year old Becky Vinden from the UK may be small in size but she’s not afraid of taking a hit. She may get bruised during training but she is not afraid of getting disfigured. She said getting injured is part and parcel of the sport. What is important is she is fitter and stronger after 3 months of intense training. She also says people think boxing is about brute strength but on the contrary, technique and reflexes are important. Its not just about strength but also using your head.
