It’s Officially Official: Membertou and Cape Breton will host the 2026 Elite Nationals!
https://www.saltwire.com/cape-breton/cape-breton-hooks-canada-elite-boxing-nationals
The road to the next Olympics will run through Cape Breton when the top amateur boxers in Canada step into the ring in Membertou later this year.
Boxing Canada held a press conference in Membertou on Thursday to announce that its 2026 Elite National Championships will be held Nov. 17-21 at the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre.
Christopher Lindsay, executive director of Boxing Canada, said the best-on-best tournament helps the national governing body for Olympic-style boxing establish its rankings and identify the athletes who will represent Team Canada at major international events, including the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“The Elite National Championships that we’re going to be holding here in November represent an opportunity for Canada’s best Olympic-style boxers from all provinces and territories from the sea in the west to the sea in the east to the sea in the North to showcase their talents and secure positions on the national team that represent Canada at world cups, world championships and games, and ultimately the Olympics,” Lindsay said via video from Boxing Canada’s National Training Centre at the Institute National du Sport in Montreal.
Greg Martin has been involved with boxing for more than 50 years, founding Glace Bay’s Ring 73 club when he was just 17 years old before he and his son Daniel Martin were recruited by Membertou to establish a boxing program in the community 18 years ago.
He said hosting the Canada Elite Boxing Nationals will attract new people to the sport, helping not only the Membertou Boxing Club but other gyms across the island.
“You’ll get new people. Once they see that calibre of boxing, they want to be in the ring like those guys. It will bring more people into our gym for sure,” Martin, 69, said.
“If you want to see boxing at its purest, the Elite Nationals are it. That’s where you’re going to see true boxing, people giving their heart and soul because both people want to win and there’s only one winner. That being said, if you gave your best and you lose, you’re still just as recognized as the winner — as the gold medallist — because people recognize the fact that you gave it your all.”
Membertou Chief and CEO Terry Paul said the community is proud to host an event that celebrates “excellence, perseverance and the power of sport.”
He said more than 500 people, including athletes, coaches, officials and fans, are expected to attend the tournament.
“To host a national championship is something special. It brings together the very best — those who have trained, sacrificed and pushed themselves to compete at the highest level. And we are proud that Membertou is the place where that spirit will be on full display. Boxing is a sport that demands more than strength. It demands discipline, resilience and respect. It teaches you how to stand tall in the face of adversity. How to stay focused under pressure. And how to carry yourself with humility whether you win or lose. These are values that resonate deeply with us as Mi’kmaq people and as a community,” he said.
“Here in Membertou, we have worked hard to build a community that invests in opportunity in sport, in wellness and in our youth. We believe that when young people are given the chance to challenge themselves to belong and succeed it strengthens not only the individual but the entire community. This championship will bring people together from coast to coast to coast sharing experiences and building friendships that will last far beyond the week of the boxing. It is also an opportunity for us to showcase who we are as a community: welcoming, proud and always looking forward to the future.”
Paul MacDonald, events co-ordinator for the Cape Breton Regional Municipality and Centre 200 general manager, said local businesses will be big winners when the top boxers in the country and their teams come to Cape Breton.
“These are the best of the best who come here to perform and they’re bringing along with them their families, their coaches, their trainers. And that’s the idea. When we bring events to our area we want to welcome obviously athletes and all those that are visitors but it’s also a huge economic driver for this region. And we in Cape Breton-Unama’ki certainly punch above our weight, no pun intended,” he said.
Boxing Canada said more details on the event, including ticket information, athlete registration and event programming, will be announced in the coming months.