The best female amateur boxer in Denmark has announced her retirement from Amateur boxing. It must have been a tough decision to make, after the most successful year in her career, in which she won the Danish Championship, the EU Championship (including the best boxer award) and the European Championship.

Vinni Skovgaard would be the best bet for a Danish medal at the World Championships next month, but, sadly, that is not going to happen due to disagreement over travel arrangements between her and the Danish Amateur Boxing Association.

Vinni Skovgaard is known to be a perfectionist and 100% committed to her sport. She is cuts no corners in her attempts to improve her performance and to stay among to top contenders in her the light welterweight division. Practically all her free time and vacations has been devoted to tournaments and training sessions both at her boxing club and at training camps in Denmark and abroad. She has been paying diet and mental coaching out of her own pocket. So her position as one of the best amateurs in the world has not come without personal costs.

When she was told, that the Danish team was to leave for India only 3 days prior to the Championships she found these conditions far from perfect. Other teams arrive a week or longer before the start of the World Championships. According to Vinni, the substantial difference in time and climate, can not be bridged in so short a time. Her argument has been backed up by top Danish badminton players, who frequently travel to the Far East for tournaments. The doctrine, that the important thing is to take part, doesn't cut any ice with Vinni. Her reason to go there is to win. What she sees before her, is not an even playing field, and rather than do something by half, she has decided not to take part in the World Championships. This incident has obviously made Skovgaard reflect on her future in amateur boxing, and she has decided to call it a day.

25 year old Vinni Skovgaard retires from amateur
boxing, and can look back on the following achievements:
4 Danish Championships
3 Nordic Championships
1 EU Championship
2 European Championships
1 World Championship bronze medal
Plus a large number of gold and silver medals at national and international tournaments.

The obvious question is: What next? The immediate plan is a well deserved break, after a season of 14 months. After that, she is open minded, as far as future plans are concerned. A year ago Vinni revealed to WBAN that she would be interested in turning pro under the right conditions, and she has confirmed that this is certainly still an option for her. Let's hope that the loss for Danish Amateur boxing can turn out to be a gain for pro boxing in Denmark or elsewhere.