Kay Koroma Promoted to National Assistant Coach For USA Boxing!

(Photos courtesy of AIBA)

Congratulations to Alexandria, VA trainer Kay Koroma who has been promoted to the National Assistant Coach position at USA Boxing!

Koroma has served as USA Boxing's Resident Coach at the Olympic Training Center and was a member of the 2016 US Olympic coaching staff in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.

In his new role, Koroma will continue to work with USA Boxing's coaching and high performance staff in the development and implementation of individual athlete training and competition plans for all national team athletes and continue to manage USA Boxing's recently expanded resident athlete program at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.

A former pro boxer (5-1, three KO's), Koroma hung up his gloves in 2008 after an illness forced him to retire.  Koroma has worked with numerous regional, national and international champion boxers at the Alexandria Boxing Club and started working with the Olympic program as its Developmental Coach in 2014.  He then became a full-time coach two years later.

Since Koroma joined USA Boxing's staff alongside Head Coach Billy Walsh, the U.S. team has enjoyed great success at the international level, including three Olympic medals (Claressa Shields - gold, Shakur Stevenson - silver, Nico Hernandez - bronze), the best U.S. finish at a Men's World Championships since 1999 and an undefeated 2017 international run by flyweight Virginia Fuchs.

“Coach Kay has been a key component to USA Boxing’s success since coming on board full time in 2016,” commented USA Boxing High Performance Director Matt Johnson.  “He has a unique skill set that makes a great impact on our boxers both inside and outside of the ring. We are fortunate to have him on our staff and look forward to his continued progression in the position of National Assistant Coach.”

"I'm excited to continue my USA Boxing journey and the success we've had over the past two years. Working with young people, making them believe in themselves and helping them to reach their full potential in boxing and life has always been my passion and I enjoy sharing that with the talented athletes of Team USA," Koroma said. "This is just the beginning. We will keep building champions at every level and show the world the talent that we have here in the United States."

While Coach Koroma has had a tremendous impact on USA Boxing's elite athletes, he continues to work with his homegrown athletes at the Alexandria Boxing Club. Three ALX members, lightweight Keyshawn Davis, female light welterweight Amelia Moore and reigning World Championships bronze medalist Troy Isley, (standing to Koroma's left along with Quentin Randall (far left) and Duke Ragan (far right) won the 2017 USA Boxing National Championships and get the opportunity to train regularly at the Olympic Training Center with Coach Koroma when he's not at his home gym in Alexandria. Isley and Koroma have worked together since a nine-year-old Troy first walked into the gym and he is now one of the favorites to make the 2020 Olympic Team.  Davis also won a National Golden Gloves championship in 2017 and Moore captured four championships last year.

By the way, Davis and Isley will compete for the first time at the Strandja Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria today.  Davis will compete at 132 pounds against Dymtro Cherniak of the Ukraine while Isley will take on Mariusz Gnas of Sweden in a 165 pound contest.