RAMPAGING RAHAT

But Hatim pushes Uddin all the way in London novice nals

TOTTENHAM SEPTEMBER 28-29

THE London round of the National Development Championships concluded with a busy weekend at the Community Sports Centre, with Saturday’s semis followed by finals the next day.

Lansbury puncher Rahat Uddin made a whirlwind start in his Class A 60 kgs final against Ahmed Hatim, threatening to blow away the taller Earlsfield boxer with wild hooking attacks. But Hatim stood his ground, winning the second before two counts in the last (both from a left hook) clinched a unanimous victory for Uddin.

An intriguing Class A 69 kgs final brought a shock ending when a left from Dylan Oke (Fight For Peace) wobbled Repton southpaw Elijah Inegbenebho for a standing count, then immediate stoppage, in the last. Inegbenebho was not happy.

West Ham’s Jordan Dujon is small for 75 kgs but outworked taller Raphael Brown (Double Jab) to win their final unanimously – but Hammers clubmate Jawany Scott suffered a heavy second-round KO defeat in the Class B 60 kgs decider, succumbing to a big right from strong Masood Abdullah

(Islington).

Also winning for Islington were hard-working Class B pair Slavisa Gegic (69) and Chris Cunningham (75), who unanimously beat Julio Tuwizana

from Double Jab and West Ham’s Deniss Dagilis.

With only seven bouts in a career lasting less than a year, White Hart Lane super-heavy Simon Ibekwi showed a sharp left hand when outboxing muscular Ashley Simpson (Haringey) in the Class A final. Ibekwi won unanimously.

One of the best finals was the gruelling, bloody Class B 56 kgs battle won on a split by Aden Bencheman (Stonebridge) over White Hart Lane’s Samuel Alphonso.

An all-double Jab affair at Class A 91 kgs saw Kevin Morgan put a last-round, right-cross count on

Deevorn Miller en route to a unanimous triumph.

The two heaviest affairs in Class B involved four Repton boxers – and both produced split verdicts. At 91 William Hamilton edged much taller Stephen Adentan,

while up at super-heavy Arnold Obodai just did enough to get past

Franklin Ignatius.