England Boxing National Youth Championships 2019 – day two report

Elise Glynn won the battle of the European Junior medallists as she defeated Sameenah Toussaint to book her place at tomorrow’s eagerly-awaited Finals Day of the England Boxing National Youth Championships 2019.

On an action-packed semi-finals day at the Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury, the European Junior gold medallist in 2017, from Hook & Jab, clinched a unanimous victory over her Northolt opponent in the Female Youth 54kg to 57kg category.

Glynn declared that win over Toussaint, who won European Junior bronze in 2018, was the perfect way to begin her calendar year after what has been, for her, a disappointing past 12 months in the ring.

“It was a really good win for me in what was my first bout this year at 57kg and it felt really good to get back in there and up the confidence,” she said.

“I knew she (Toussaint) was good competition, but I was determined to get the job done.

“I’m really looking forward to the final tomorrow, which will be my fifth national final, so I’m ready to get in the ring and prove what I can do.”

There was also plenty of smiles from Adam Azim, who won European gold for England last year in Russia.

The Pinewood boxer showed his class in clinching a unanimous victory over Manor’s Levi Smith in the Male Youth 56kg to 60kg category, but he did not have it all his own way against a game opponent.

He said: “I felt good in there and kept it at a good pace. He gave me a decent work-out and has helped prepared me for my final tomorrow.

“There are a few things that I can work on, but I’m happy with the way I performed and I’m confident for my final.”

Fresh from her win in December’s Three Nations tournament in Sheffield, Simran Kaur looked sharp in her unanimous success over fellow England squad member Holly Heffron, of Heart of Portsmouth.

The Kings Heath boxer will now face Empire’s Savannah Stubley in a mouth-watering final of the Female Youth 48kg to 51kg category.

“It was good overall,” she said. “I started off a bit slowly, but I think I showed by maturity – she is a year younger than me – but she boxed well.

“We have a lot of respect for each other because we are England team-mates, but when you are in the ring, you have to put that aside.

“Once you get in the ring you have to forget about the friendship until the end of the bout and then there are no hard feelings and your friends again.

“I’ve boxed my opponent in the final before and beaten her, so hopefully I can do the same again.”

Elsewhere, Repton had an excellent day at the office with Robert Lacourt, Adan Mohammed and Dennis McCann all making it through to their respective finals.

They will be joined by fellow Reptonian – World, European and Youth Olympic champion Caroline Dubois – who will box Scunthorpe’s Wenessa Orczwk in a straight final.

Fellow World and European champion Gemma Richardson will also be bidding for glory after quickly stopping her opponent Chloe McDermott, who certainly lived up to her club’s Lionheart name.