Urijah Harrington shows off a well-earned Victorian State Titles medallion alongside dad Zedda.
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Goulburn Valley Boxing Academy’s two rising boxing brothers returned to the ring with a vengeance at the Australian Club Championships in South Australia.
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About 86 clubs and 360 boxers converged on the Dom Polski Centre in Adelaide, with 14-year-old Urijah Harrington standing head and shoulders above the rest in his bracket.
He reaffirmed his billing as one of Australian boxing’s rising stars with two gold medals, the first of which he won against Western Australia’s George Samadarli and the second gained by defeating fellow Victorian Max Copland.
For his efforts, Harrington was recognised as the event’s premier under-15 boxer by the Boxing South Australia panel overseeing the fights.
Another feather in the cap for the young star — but he wasn’t done yet.
A week later, Harrington was back in the ring for the Victorian Under-19 State Titles at the Veneto Club in Bulleen, crafting another exquisite bout to add another win to his 14-4 record.
The result also confirmed his return attendance to the Australian Schools Boxing Championships, where he will defend the under-15 crown he earned at last year’s tournament.
Urijah won’t be the only member of the family headed to Darwin in September – brother Izaiah is also on the Team Victoria squad after impressing recently.
Izaiah Harrington walked away from the Australian Club Championships with a gold medal.
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The younger Harrington scored a gold medal in his fight against Leigh Thanh Nong in Adelaide, coming out on top after a hard-fought three rounds.
For father and coach Zedda Harrington, the reason for their ongoing success boils down to seeing the bigger picture.
“I think (it’s) just with the commitment that they show weekly,” Harrington said.
“Izaiah’s 12 and Urijah’s 14 and the workload that they do weekly and the dedication that they give to the craft, it's just a reflection of that.
“Hard work is being rewarded to the fullest at the moment; they understand that there are so many levels to the game and they might be at the top, but they've got their goals which are five, 10 years down the track.
“They just always continually see the bigger picture in the sport.”
The bell continues to ring for the two young boxers, who are currently in Fiji preparing to compete in the Tri-Nation Tournament.
Some of the most promising underage boxers from the Oceania region will compete in Nadi from June 25-29, marking the Harringtons’ inaugural international bouts.
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