HEAD OF CLASS

Pinewood and Newham were the top clubs at the Schoolboys and Schoolgirl Championships

PINEWOOD STARR and Newham were the top clubs when the Schoolboys and Schoolgirls Championships reached its climax over two days at Guildford Spectrum.

There were five champions from Pinewood Starr, with Newham just one behind.

The clubs met in the Class A final at under-30kgs and Tommy Stanley (Newham) and Charlie Ward produced one of the best male bouts of the day.

Stanley won the decision by the narrowest of

3-2 split decisions after losing a point for holding. Ward also produced a big finish, driving Stanley to the ropes with southpaw combinations in the final minute, but the taller Stanley landed enough clean shots to be ahead on three of the five judges cards at the final bell of a bout fought at a furious pace throughout.

The female final between European medallists Serena Mali (Cleary’s) and Ruby Took (Crowle) at 51 kgs in Class B was another the judges regarded as one of the weekend’s bests.

Mali, a silver medallist at last year’s Europeans in Turkey last August at 46kgs, was a unanimous points winner over Took, who won bronze up at 51kgs.

Though Mali was moving up in weight, she was taller by a couple of inches.

The 15-year-old is a long switcher who scored with eye-catching long shots and moved in and out of range, but whenever she held her feet, Took landed punches.

Took appeared to benefit from a break to adjust her headguard late in the second. She tore into Mali on the resumption and there were some furious exchanges until the bell.

Mali took a few clean lefts in the last round as well, but she still edged most of the exchanges and was a deserved winner.

Mali was forced to compete at a higher weight because clubmate Jaya Kalsi – nicknamed ‘Jayweather’ went in at 48kgs.

Kalsi, who also went to last year’s European Schoolgirls Championship, impressed as well. She was named one of the female boxers of the tournament after beating Georgia White (Newquay) in the final by a unanimous decision.

Sporting Ring ABC and Rainham both had three champions, while London were the most successful region at the championships.

They claimed 18 titles, followed by the Midlands and Tyne, Tees and Wear region, who both went home with 10 champions.

Yorkshire were the next most successful region with nine champions.