A GROUP of boxers from the world’s smallest island nation arrived in Kendal this week for an intensive five-week Olympic training programme.

The boxers from Nauru in the South Pacific – just 21 square kilometres in size – will live and train at Kendal Dojo in the lead up to London 2012.

The stay is aimed at improving the boxers’ chances of qualifying for next year’s games and also acclimatising to UK conditions.

Former Team GB national performance director and Olympic boxing coach Ian Irwin, from Windermere, will lead the group. He has visited Nauru twice over the past year.

“We want to offer the best facilities we can as they train in an old shed of asbestos walls and ceilings, with a poorly constructed boxing ring,” he said.

“We want to give them some good competition while they also test the systems for acclimatising to the UK should they qualify for the Olympics. By getting used to the recovery time from jet lag this time around, we can gauge how long they might need to be here ahead of the Games next year.”

Mr Irwin said that because Nauru was four-and-a-half hours from Australia it is difficult for the boxers to find testing competition.

“It is very important to know what to expect and we have come up with a strong training schedule,” he said.

During their stay at the Dojo, DJ Maaki, Colin Caleb, Joseph Deireragea and Jake Ageidu, will undergo a range of technical and tactical training before a contest against North West boxers at Kendal Dojo on July 16.

National coach for the Nauruan boxers, Tim Ika, was amazed with the facilities in Kendal and said his boxers would reap the rewards.

“It means everything to us but it is going to be new to the team,” he said. “The training and fitness work we will be able to do will be much improved in these facilities.”

Mr Ika added: “We have come here to improve our chances of qualifying for the Olympics and under Ian’s guidance I hope we can develop our boys skills.”

For DJ, Colin, Joseph and Jake to reach the Olympics next summer they must qualify through the Oceania trials – to be held next March – they will go up against boxers from Australia, who have dominated the region’s Olympic places for many years.

On Monday, the group met Kendal Mayor Coun Jonathan Brook and any businesses that can make a donation of support for the team should contact Kendal Town Hall.

Tickets for the boxing event are £10 and funds raised will be used for training kits and equipment for the team to take back to Nauru.