Emma-Sue Greentree: “I’m continuing to prove to myself that I belong at this level.”

Emma-Sue Greentree: “I’m continuing to prove to myself that I belong at this level.”

At just 26 and ever-improving, Emma-Sue Greentree has returned from the World Amateur Championships with a medal. At the recent World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, Greentree secured her second bronze medal on the world stage. The Australian came agonisingly close to doing even better, only losing to Busra Isildar of Turkey in the semi-final by a wafer-thin split-decision. Despite missing out on either a silver or a gold medal, Greentree is looking at the positives, which are many, from her latest World Championships.

“I mean, of course, I am gutted not to get to the final again,” Greentree told me. “However, it’s my second World Championships, and I’ve medaled again. So I’m continuing to prove to myself that I belong at this level, and I am so proud of myself. I feel extremely blessed to be a part of Team Australia and truly believe that we are on the rise! Our performances as a whole are just getting better and better.”

Greentree wasn’t the only success story in Liverpool for the Australian female team. Lekeisha Pergoliti secured a silver medal, and Eseta Flint went one better and will head back home to Australia with a gold medal around her neck. Greentree is a proud member of that team.

‘Australia has one of the best team supports I’ve ever been a part of,” Greentree says. “As soon as your name is called, you can hear them all cheer from the stands, which is most often followed by the ‘Aussie Aussie Aussie’ chant. No matter what, we will stand by and support each other.

“As for the female success, what can I say? Down under, we are just killing it. I believe if we were able to have the luxury of travelling as much as some countries do, it would create more opportunities for us. But in the grand scheme of things, we are sparring with each other, and currently, we are all the best in the world. So I believe that is a huge-huge advantage when we come to these tournaments. We all have very different styles that our coaches recognise and also capitalise on, work on, and create greatness. We are also able to spar the different styles within our team, which allows us to get the experience at home that we may miss out on from travelling.”

Despite those two medals on the world stage, Greentree is targeting further glory at next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and the 2028 Olympic Games. “Both are definitely goals to achieve, along with another couple of World Championships. The first thing is first, though; it’s time to go home, reset, and refine my boxing. I’m looking forward to the next part of this journey in boxing. I’m super proud of myself for what I’ve achieved so far.”

The success in the amateur ranks could be replicated in the world of professional boxing in the coming months. A successful pro debut in 2024 against Stephanie Mfongwot could lead to more of the same. “The pro stuff is still in the mix,” Greentree relayed to me. “I will dabble within it as much as I can whilst being a part of the amateurs. My team and I are always talking and always planning to make sure it’s all going to work. It’s really fun doing the pro stuff, and I’m expecting to do big things. I know I will.”