Port Macquarie Boxing Club has welcomed a new ring to assist in State Championships and Commonwealth selection in 2022

The ring finished construction at the not-for-profit boxing club on Lake Road on December 30, under the guidance of coach Dean Groth.

The project cost around $7000 and funding was provided by $5 per session fees paid by gym members over the last two years.

Mr Groth, who is also the secretary for Boxing NSW, a national level coach and national judge/referee, said it's great to invest members' fees back into their own sessions.

"At the last State Titles in 2021 we had about 12 registered boxers in this tiny gym. It's turning into a fighter's club rather than a boxer-cise club," he said.

"We went to the State Ttitles but I could see our fighters didn't have spatial awareness of being in the ring. They were going backwards too far, got lost in the bigger competition ring and we actually lost the first four fights.

"We got one silver medal and one gold, but when I came back I said we need a better pathway to state titles and selection for Commonwealth Games."

Commonwealth Games women's lightweight and Women's World Boxing Championship former fighter Shelley Watts, who trains at the gym, said the new ring is a welcome sight for members.

"For people coming through the best way to practice is to be as close as possible to competition conditions," she said.

"It's a big ring and you need to make sure you know how to move. This larger ring means you can practice for more than one type of opponent.

"The coaches who come here do it for nothing, they are here on Christmas Eve and almost every day of the week. No-ones trying to make a profit and the money goes straight back into making better facilities."

The gym has been acknowledged by Parkinson's NSW for their Boxing for Exercise program, working with people who have Parkinsons.

They also host Soldier On and first responder programs, as well as an intervention for youth offenders program called On Track Boxing.

The gym was previously located at Challenge Fitness on Hastings River Drive. During the COVID pandemic it moved to training on the public ovals for six months before securing the current location sponsored by Elders Real Estate Port Macquarie.

"The club has been here for two years. It's very small, we have a limit of 14 people up and 14 people downstairs," Mr Groth said.

"When the pandemic was happening we had about six months boot camp training on the oval out at the back of Wave Bowl before moving in here.

"We are coming out of COVID now and it will be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of months."

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