WITH domestic tournaments suspended due to the pandemic over the past year and a half, it’s been a long wait for national championships to come back in the UK. But after 573 days without such tournaments, the England Boxing national Schools championship finished at the Vertu Arena in Newcastle on Sunday (September 26).
Eighty-four contests took place on the last day of the competition. Repton and Rainham were the most successful clubs, with five champions a piece. The bout of the tournament, was judged to be Rainham’s William Howard’s split decision victory over Tony Saunders at Chadwell St. Mary in the Class B 52kgs final. The boxers of the tournament were Ruby White of Sturminster Newton, Newham’s Talia Rumbol and Lexi Walker of Great Wyrley in the female competitions. On the boys’ side they were Rainham’s Archie Coates, Bailey Wilding of Mikey’s Boxing Gym and Mohammad Safari of the Ring. For more details, visit the England Boxing website here.
The Scottish Schools championships also finished on the same weekend at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell. “I just want to say a big thank you to everyone who helped make the 2021 School and Junior Championships a big success,” said Boxing Scotland CEO Chris Roberts. “This was our first Championships in 18 months due to the coronavirus pandemic and there was some terrific boxing on display.
“Many thanks go to all of the boxers, coaches, officials and volunteers.”
Boxing Scotland’s next event is the Intermediate Championships on the weekend of October 16-17, also being held at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell.
In England the venues for key national championships later this year have been set. The England Boxing Elite championships will finish in London on December 11, with the finals taking place at the University of East London.
“We are delighted to be able to take the showpiece event of the domestic amateur scene in England back to London, where this event always receives such great support,” said Competition and Events Manager Lynsey Lockey. “The University of East London has a great reputation for its excellence in sport and the SportsDock building, where the ring will be set up, has played host to a number of national and international events.”
The National Amateur Championship quarter-finals and semi-finals will be held from December 4-5 in the Midlands at Cannock’s Chase Leisure Centre. The pre quarter-finals will take place in the Home Counties at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury on November 28, the same weekend as the England Boxing National Youth Championships 2021. The Development championships will be held in tandem with the Elite championships at the same venues on the same dates. The Youth championship quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals will take place on consecutive days at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury, from November 26-28. The pre quarter-finals are to be completed by November 21, with East Midlands to box off against Midlands, Merseyside and Cheshire against Tyne, Tees and Wear, and Western Counties against Eastern Counties.
The Youth Championships are open to Youth Cadet (born in 2004) and Youth (born in 2003 or 2004).
The national semi-finals and finals of the Junior championships will take place at the Harvey Haddon Sports Village in Nottingham from October 16-17.
The quarter-finals, to be completed by October 10, will see North West boxers take on those from Yorkshire/Tyne, Tees and Wear; Merseyside and Cheshire paired with Midlands/East Midlands; Western Counties face Home Counties/Eastern Counties, and Southern Counties and London go head to head. The pre quarter-finals are to be completed by October 3 with Yorkshire to box off against Tyne, Tees and Wear; Midlands against the East Midlands, and Home Counties against Eastern Counties.