Youth Championships highlight strength of DiSE Programme
February 18, 2022 | by Matt Halfpenny
It was an England Boxing National Youth Championships 2022 to remember for the Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) Programme, which boasted no less than nine winners and eight finalists who are enrolled across the country.
The Level 3 qualification supports talented and committed young athletes who have realistic potential to be high achievers in their sport.
It is the officially-endorsed boxing education programme supported and recognised by England Boxing, with a value of 64 UCAS points, that combines boxing training and full-time education so participants have the skills, knowledge and competence to pursue sporting excellence alongside education and a future career.
Students showed they have been listening and learning during their boxing sessions with their run of success at the Barnsley Metrodome, with finalists from five of the six hubs.
DiSE Midlands, based in Tamworth, led the way in a brilliant tournament for them as Sophie Shore (Impact, Female Youth Under 63kg), Zara Aitchison (Leicester Lightning, Female Youth Under 60kg) and Derelle Mackenzie (Hall Green, Male Youth, Under 80kg) won Open class titles and Josh Rose (Hall Green) and Tom Robinson (South Derbyshire, Male Youth Cadet Under 75kg), Dempsey McManus (Wodensborough, Male Youth Cadet Under 92kg) were victors in the Youth Cadets.
Paris McGuinness (Northampton) lost in the Female Youth Cadet Under 51kg semi-finals, and the seven boxers from the hub are pictured above.
Two boxers from the Spotlight Centre-based DiSE London met in the Male Youth Under 57kg final, with Frankie Wood (West Ham) coming out on top against Max Schultz.
Amaan Mohammed (Hoddesdon), at Male Youth Under 51kg, made the semi-finals and Freddie Pullen (West Ham), at Male Youth Under 60kg, the quarter-finals.
Pride of the South Coast’s DISE Brighton, based at the Greater Brighton Metropolitan College, was Dennis Whittington (Moulsecoomb) who took home the Male Youth Cadet Under 71kg title, while Louis Kirwan (Golden Ring) was a losing finalist at Male Youth Cadet Under 67kg,
Flying the flag for DISE Gateshead, hosted at Gateshead College, was Dionne Mannion (Marden) at Female Youth Cadet Under 54kg whose victory over Niamh Winters (Wolverines) was adjudged the Female Youth Cadet bout of the tournament.
It was so close yet so far for the boxers from the Joe Gallagher Academy, Manchester, DiSE’s North West hub, who had three losing finalists – Mikey Evans (Rotunda, Male Youth Cadet Under 60kg) at Male Youth, Ella Thompstone (Female Youth Cadet Under 63kg) and Paige Howarth (Clayton, Female Youth Under 57kg).
DiSE offers aspiring boxers aged 16 to 19 the chance to train full-time in boxing while also studying full-time to gain qualifications that will benefit them outside of the ring.
You can study DiSE over two years alongside your school or College main study programme and is delivered by highly-qualified and experienced England Boxing coaches.
Find out more by clicking here.
