THE boxing community of south Wales has paid tribute to a coach who helped nurture a generation of local talent.

Terry Dymock founded Chepstow Amateur Boxing Club (ABC) in 1976 and spent nearly 40 years coaching Welsh-title winning boxers including Michael McDaid, Warren Leamon, Jamie Morley and Rameece Rouf.

Monmouth MP, David Davies, described Mr Dymock as a "much-loved" and "popular" character. The 77 year-old from Caerwent died in December following a short illness.

Following a successful career as an amateur boxer during which he competed in over 165 bouts, notching up the Royal Navy Sea Cadets Championship, three Midland Counties championships, three junior titles and one senior title, Mr Dymock hung up his gloves in 1967.

His love of boxing continued later in life when he became a trainer at Spencer Works ABC in Caldicot in the early 1970s. Shortly afterwards, he set up Chepstow ABC and opened his first gym at the home of a former ballet school in St Mary's Street and the club eventually relocated to the Drill Hall in Chepstow.

Mr Dymock used his vast experience in the sport to train thousands of youngsters spanning a period of four decades.  He became well known for hosting boxing shows at venues such as the Severn Bridge Social Club in Bulwark and Chepstow RFC, as well as popular black tie events at St Pierre Country Club.

He later qualified as a national boxing coach and took teams to compete in Germany, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands, Amsterdam and Kosani in Greece.

David Davies MP, who read the eulogy at Mr Dymock's funeral, said Mr Dymock was an "outstanding" boxer and an "inspirational" coach.

"I trained at Chepstow ABC myself intermittently over the years and saw the way that Terry brought out the best in people," he said.

"Some of the youngsters were quite difficult to deal with when they first came in, but Terry would teach them very quickly about the importance of respect for themselves and others.

"Having been given a terminal prognosis, Terry told his family he wasn't going to be kept alive on machines. Any boxer knows about battling fear when they walk into the ring. Terry went into this particular fight knowing he wasn't going to win. Yet he approached it with the same courage he showed throughout his life and for that, the whole boxing community in south Wales pays tribute to him."

Chepstow ABC has since been taken over by Mr Dymock's understudy, Steve Woods. One of the new hopefuls under his watchful eye is female boxer Rosie Eccles, who has already achieved her first novice Welsh title.

Rosie having won all seven of her bouts and achieving a total knock-out in four of them.

Steve has been at the club coaching for ten years now and has taken more work on over the past couple of years as Terry set up the club's running for his successor.

"The club is a continuation of what Terry created really," said Steve.

"I teach in the same way he taught me to box."

Steve will also create a Terry Dymock Belt in his memory which will be awarded to the club's best boxer of the year annually.

Steve said: "The club is absolutely thriving.

"We've got so many people at the club that seem to be winning everything. Rosie has boxed of Wales against England and David Stanfield is in the Open Championships.

"There's also Aiden Hampsey who is in the finals of the Welsh Youth Championships and Keiron Woods in the Schoolboy Championships."