JESS Messina is about to embark on a demanding schedule to start the year that will see her head to Bulgaria, return home for a month before heading to Serbia and potentially Finland, portnews.com.au reports.
With just 18 months until the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the Port Macquarie boxer knows the hard work has only just started.
On Saturday, Messina will fly out for Sofia where she will compete at an international tournament to be held between February 13-20.
“It’s an international tournament because Boxing Australia are trying to get the elite athletes to as many fights as they can because we’re so far away from all the international tournaments,” Messina told the Port News.
“We try to go to the big ones throughout the year so we can get some experience for those benchmark tournaments like the world titles and the Olympics.
“Tokyo is the big one that everyone wants to be at, so that’s my main focus for now.”
The bout in Sofia next week will be the Port Macquarie boxer’s first bout since a split points’ decision in India last November.
“It depends how many girls are in my division but for this tournament I could have three or four fights in the welterweight (69 kilogram) division,” she said.
The result in India gave Messina her position in the top eight boxers in the world – but it is one she was motivated to improve on.
“The main focus for me would be to win and go and win gold over (in Bulgaria),” she said.
“But I just want to perform well and get a good sense of how I go with the other girls in my division over there.”
It would also enable her to dust off the pre-season cobwebs.
“I want to get the first couple of fights in for the year and put into action the things I’ve been learning and really perform good no matter the result,” she said.
“It’s all happening in the first part of the year.”
Following the trip to Bulgaria, Messina will briefly head home before she boards another plane bound for Serbia in April.
Over the last week, Messina has been preparing for her upcoming bouts at a training camp at the Australian Institute of Sport.
“We’ve been training three times a day for the last week so it’s pretty much been eat, sleep, train, eat, sleep, train,” she said.
Messina also has her eyes on the Australian titles which will be held in June.
“They are the first pathway for the Olympics in Tokyo in 2020,” she said.
We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!
Eurostat's latest findings have shed light on the shifting landscape of household energy prices in the European Union, with Bulgaria emerging as a frontrunner in affordability.
Along the Southern Black Sea coast, preparations are in full swing for a successful and peaceful summer season, as confirmed by Minister of Tourism Evtim Miloshev following discussions with local authorities and control institutions
In a heated exchange emblematic of Bulgaria's turbulent political climate, Delyan Peevski, co-chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), and Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), exchanged bitin
A recent UN report on the health behaviors of school-age children has unveiled concerning trends regarding alcohol and cigarette consumption among Bulgarian students, sparking widespread concern
President Rumen Radev, along with experts in winter sports and infrastructure development, has spearheaded discussions on Bulgaria's potential bid to host the 2028 Winter Youth Olympic Games
The Bulgarian women participating in the European Individual Chess Championship for Women on the fourth day, held on the island of Rhodes, achieved three victories, one draw, and two defeats
Bulgaria's tennis players, Grigor Dimitrov, and Viktoriya Tomova, maintain their positions in the latest world rankings published today, showcasing their enduring prowess on the global stage
In a riveting finale at the Tournament of Challengers for the World Chess Title in Toronto, Nurgyul Salimova, the 20-year-old Bulgarian chess sensation, concluded her debut with a draw against Russia's Aleksandra Goryachkina after a grueling 59-move match
In a thrilling showdown at the Women's World Chess Title Challenger Tournament in Toronto, Bulgarian chess sensation Nurgyul Salimova showcased her resilience and strategic prowess as she battled Russian opponent Kateryna Lagno
As the 2024 tennis season unfolds, Bulgarian sensation Grigor Dimitrov emerges as one of the standout players, enjoying his best start to the year in recent memory
UN Happiness Report: Bulgaria's Astonishing Leap in Rankings
Bulgaria: 3 Regions With Lowest Life Expectancy - EU Report 2022
Bulgaria news
Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. The editorial staff also publishes a daily online newspaper "Sofia Morning News."
Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) and Sofia Morning News publish the latest economic, political and cultural news that take place in Bulgaria.
Foreign media analysis on Bulgaria and World News in Brief are also part of the web site and the online newspaper.
News Bulgaria