An 11-time Boxing BC champion is being inducted into the Prince George Sports Hall of Fame on Saturday from the Ramada Plaza downtown.
Kenny Lally, who posted a superb amateur record of 110-16 is going in with the likes of Edna Stitt, Joe Rea, Amanda Asay and, Megan Tandy.
The induction comes full circle for Lally as he along with Tandy and Asay are going into together, 19 years after first being named Youth Athletes in 2005.
“That just shows how deep the talent is in many disciplines in Prince George. For us to be back in 2005 to be known as Youth Athletes and now with all of us finishing our careers it just shows that we have great talent here in this town.”
Lally began boxing at age 13 and represented the Inner City Boxing Club, mostly coached by Bob Pegues for his 14-year career.
“I worked with many coaches throughout my career and I put Bob up there in the top-three. I am not being biased because he is my coach it’s just I have seen him work with other athletes and it’s just the way he coaches and the man that he is.”
“He taught me many things not just in boxing but in life as well. He is my best friend and I would do anything for him as he would for me.”
In addition, he is a six-time BC Golden Gloves champ.
Lally earned Best Boxer in BC awards at the cadet, junior and, senior levels.
Furthermore, the local product is a seven-time Boxing Canada national champion.
“One of the coolest things was back in 2005 when Inner City Boxing hosted the cadet nationals here in Prince George. It was right when the Treasure Cove (Casino) was first built and we had a big tent in the backyard. That was my first national competition – that is one of the memories I really hold dear,” added Lally.
Lally was a member of the Canadian national team for 10 years, representing his country all over the world in weight classes ranging from 52 to 56 kilograms.
In 2007, he was a silver medalist at the Canada Winter Games. Lally’s first-ever international fight was a win in Germany that same year.
Three years later (2010), Lally was an Americas Continental silver medalist in Ecuador.
Lally represented Canada at two Olympic qualifying events in 2012 and 2016 but just missed out on advancing to the Games.
He noted coming up short of the Olympic games still stings a little but not nearly as much as it used to.
“Not making the Olympics destroyed me. After I retired, I had a very, very rough two years to get over that because a good part of my life was this dream. I actually processed it and I am happy where I got but the dream is not done yet. Now, we are into coaching and maybe we can get some people into the Olympics that way. Only time will tell.”
At one point in his career, he was ranked 19th in the world in his weight class.
Lally joins fellow PG boxers Laurie and Harold Mann, Boyd and Allen Bayne along with Jack Meda, Sid McKnight and, Wayne Sponagle
