Canadian U17 Boxers Set to Compete at Rival Championship Tournament in Oklahoma City

Oklahoma City — July 24, 2026 — A group of 11 of Canada’s promising U17 boxers will represent the country at the upcoming Rival Championship Tournament in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, bringing together a talented delegation of young athletes from across Canada.

The delegation features athletes selected at the 2026 U17 National Championships held in Calgary. The tournament will provide an important opportunity for Canada’s U17 athletes to gain international competition experience, test themselves against strong opposition, and continue their development on the pathway toward future national and international competition.

Representing Canada’s National Team at the tournament are:

• Isabella Meredith — W52 (Calgary Boxing Club, AB)
• Brooklyn Kaufman — W57 (Waterloo Regional Boxing Academy, ON)
• Rui Mendes — M50 (Bushido Boxing, ON)
• Curtis Realba — M54 (Fighting Island Boxing Club, ON)
• Memphis McIntosh — M55 (Boxing Club Spruce Grove, AB)
• Liam Pagaling — M52 (Calgary Boxing Club, AB)
• Partap Dosanjh — M57 (King of the Ring, ON)
• Lionel Azuni — M57 (Impact Boxing Club, AB)
• Jakop Brandt — M63 (Lonsdale Boxing Club, SK)
• Cassius Smith — M66 (Boomerz Boxing, ON)
• Alessandro Verrelli — M75 (Posteraro’s Boxing Gym, ON)

The Canadian team will be led by Head Coach Brad Ross of Nova Scotia, with Jessica Sparrow of Calgary Boxing Club and Brett Lucier of Boomerz Boxing Club serving as personal coaches and assisting with the team throughout the tournament.

The Rival Championship Tournament represents an important opportunity for Canada’s next generation of boxers to build valuable international experience while representing their clubs, provinces, and country. The athletes will have the chance to compete in a high-level tournament environment, learn from the experience, and continue developing the skills and confidence required to progress in the sport.

“International competition at the U17 level is an important part of an athlete’s development,” said Christopher Lindsay, Executive Director. “This tournament will give these young athletes an opportunity to challenge themselves, gain valuable experience, and see where they stand against strong competition. We are proud to have athletes from clubs across the country representing Canada, and we look forward to seeing them make the most of this opportunity.”

The delegation’s participation reflects the continued commitment to developing Canada’s next generation of athletes and creating meaningful competitive opportunities for young boxers as they progress through the national development pathway. With new investment from Sport Canada into the Canadian Sport System, Boxing Canada has updated its long term High Performance Plan to support more opportunities for younger athletes. 

“Exposure to more styles and a greater variety of competition is critical for boxer development” said Vincent Auclair, National Team Head Coach. “We would like athletes starting full-time with the National Team to be ready for 10-15 high quality international bouts per season. If they haven’t had 3-4 international bouts per year in U17 and U19 they are going to be behind their peers.”.

Boxing Canada, in cooperation with the Pan-American Boxing Confederation, are pushing to hold both U19 and U17 continental championships every other year. Boxing Canada is committing to provide one U17 tour in years without the Continental Championships, as well as a variety of centralized and decentralized training camps. 

Auclair is concrete in his goal: “The 2032 Olympics are coming up fast – and Canada will be prepared”.

For media inquiries regarding the Canadian National Team please contact Christopher Lindsay at clindsay@boxingcanada.org 

About Boxing Canada: Boxing Canada is the national sport organization for the sport of Olympic Boxing in Canada. It provides leadership for national programming, teams, and policies in partnership with each province and territory’s sport organization. Thanks to the Government of Canada, Canadian Olympic Committee, Rival Boxing Canada, and all our national partners for their support. For more information on Boxing Canada, please visit BoxingCanada.org.

Draws and bout information are posted [HERE].

Posted on: July 23, 2026