Alisha hailed as 'a lioness' after becoming Caithness Boxing Club's first national champion
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Wick teenager Alisha Mackay has been hailed as “a lioness” after becoming the first member of Caithness Boxing Club to win a national title.
The 17-year-old Wick High School pupil was victorious in her final at the 2022 Boxing Scotland National Development Championships at the weekend.
She beat Glasgow Boxing Academy's Erin McCormick in a tough battle at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.
Alisha was one of six fighters from Caithness who travelled down with coaches Liall Mackenzie and Richard Thurling.
Liall, the club's founder and head coach, said: “We've had a regional champion but that's the first national champion.
“It's brilliant. She is so dedicated.
“Alisha has been with us pretty much from the start – she was really young when she first came.
“Fair play to her. She is a lioness."
Alisha found herself up against a heavier opponent in her bout with Erin.
“There was nobody in her first category so we moved her up a category,” Liall explained.
“It was a really intense fight. She burst the girl's nose and there was a lot of blood – it was probably one of the most gruesome female fights that I've seen, actually.
“Alisha was winning convincingly but the lassie just kept coming and coming.
"She was over the moon, she was absolutely delighted – and so were we as coaches, getting our first national champion for the club."
Caithness Boxing Club has more than 50 members with sessions for three age groups – 9-11, 12-17 and 18-plus.
Liall said: “It's difficult as a sportsperson up here to compete sometimes with clubs down in the central belt. For us to go down and beat them like that is great.
“Alisha has put so much hard work in. She is a shining example at the club of how you should train hard week in and week out.
“I predicted quite a while back that she would become a Scottish champion.
“Last season we were recognised as one of the clubs in the north district with the most female members. Boxing is definitely becoming more and more popular among females.
“I'm quite glad that our first national champion is a female. It just shows that anybody can do it and it's not just for guys. It's quite cool from that aspect.
“I'm a massive advocate of supporting the young generation, giving them positive outlets and encouraging them. It's what I am passionate about.”
Also representing Caithness Boxing Club at the Boxing Scotland event – formerly known as the novice championships – were Koby Stewart, from Bower, Kieran Hourston, of Wick, and Alex Curlis, Nathan Tait and Ewan Donald, all Thurso.
Liall said: “They gave a good account of themselves. There were mixed fortunes.
"Nathan had an absolutely epic fight which we thought should have gone our way.
“He actually knocked his opponent down twice in the second round. We felt a bit hard done by.
"We were happy with them all and there has been a big improvement year on year. I've told them already – one gold next year isn't good enough.”
