Schools Championships 2022: Finals Day report
May 17, 2022 | by Matt Halfpenny
London powerhouses Repton and Rainham ensured the region claimed the lion’s share of the 75 titles contested at the England Boxing National Schools Championships 2022, held at the Spiceball Leisure Centre at the weekend (14th and 15th May).
Bethnal Green-based Repton claimed seven victories and Rainham five to finish as the top two clubs – which made up the biggest part of the region’s 19 successes overall – while Newham claimed two wins and West Ham, TM Boxing, Bodyshots, White Hart Lane and Islington one each.
Tyne, Tees and Wear also had a tournament to remember as they notched 10 titles, three of which went to their most successful club, District Youth.
Other clubs to post three wins were Home Counties’ Pinewood and Southern Counties’ Camberley, with Wimborne, Heart of Portsmouth, North Star, Priory Park, Legions and Mikey’s taking home two titles each.
Overall, no less than 51 clubs could boast at least one winner, with Southern Counties and Yorkshire (both seven), Midlands Counties (six), Merseyside and Cheshire, Western Counties, Home Counties, East Midlands (five each), North West (four) and Eastern Counties (two) all enjoying their taste of success.
England Boxing’s Head of Community Development, Charlie Ford, said: “It was great to see huge crowds in attendance, which provided a fantastic atmosphere and backdrop for the young boxers and their coaches in their quest to claim a national title.
“A big thank you to the referees, judges and the young volunteers from Pat Bensons Boxing Academy and Banbury Boxing Club who gave up their spare time to support the event.”
Boxing was contested in three classes, as Class A and Class B champions rewarded with a pair of Golden Gloves and Cadet champions with a gold medal.
Finalists in all classes picked up silver medals and losing semi-finalists bronze medals.
Female boxers of the tournament, as selected by the team of watching England Talent coaches, were Delilah Lambert (Cadet, Laisterdyke, Under 40kg), Serena Mali (Class A, Cleary’s, Under 45kg) and Lexi Walker (Class B, Wodensborough, Under 63kg).
Male boxers of the tournament were James Baker (Cadet, Repton, Under 34kg), Archie Coates (Class A, Rainham, Under 37kg) and Bailey Wilding (Class B, Mikey’s, Under 65kg).
The Female bouts of the tournament were Letitia McKee (Birkenhead Venture) v Lily Lee (FKB) in the Cadets at Under 50kg, Nevaeh Mai Brierley (Tigers) v Fallon Anderson (Sunderland East End) in Class A at Under 39kg and Maicey Brown (Riddings) v Ruby-May Allan (Legions) in Class B at Under 54kg.
The Male bouts of the tournament were Wisdom Smith (Box Smart Elite) v Moken Mills (Crewkerne) in the Cadets at Under 38kg, Liam Freaney (Birkenhead Venture) v Alfie Holman (HOP) in Class A at Under 44.5kg and John Hodgkins (Mikey’s) v Joe Jeff (Sturminster) at Class B Under 56kg.
Click here for full Finals Day results.
