GEORDIE David Pendleton, a former ABA light heavyweight champion, is to spend five weeks in Cuba undergoing intensive top-level training in the hope he can still gatecrash the Beijing Olympics next year.
Pendleton has rejoined his old mentor Glenn McCrory at Northumbria ABC and the pair will fly out to Havana on July 29.
“I’m going over with our two Cuban coaches Alberto Perez and Alberto Gonzalez who are returning for their summer break,” explained Glenn. “I’ve already opened talks with the Cuban boxing authorities for them to return on another 12-month contract.
“At the same time I’ve managed to get Pendleton a five-week stay in Havana where he’ll train every day in the same gym as Cuba’s Olympic stars.
“Cuba is the No.1 country in the world for amateur boxing and it will be a crash course from the best for David.
“He’s always had terrific natural talent but has sometimes lost his way. This is his opportunity to get back on track and, who knows, force his way to the Olympics even at this late stage.”
Pendleton (pictured below), who has also fought under the name Passmore, won his ABA crown in 2005 comprehensively, beating Great Yarmouth’s Mark Redhead 22-7 while with Birtley, but he promptly lost interest and went off to America. He has now joined McCrory’s gym in the Newbiggin Hall area of Newcastle.
Lord Coe will visit the gym tomorrow afternoon as part of his tour of the North East to look at sites which could be used for the 2012 Olympics.
