The Hunslet Club played host to another packed-out amateur boxing night last Friday (21 April 2017) featuring 17 bouts of both junior and senior competitors.
Highlights of the evening included: Jacob Staten from Beeston battling through to win a tough technical bout in the seniors; new member Mohammed Faizaan – another senior, who has emerged through the club’s partnership with the Hamara Centre – recording a second win from two fights; rising star Ellie Lambert (13) putting in another unbeatable performance in the juniors; and local youngsters Reg Ward and Levienio Ahmed chalking up their first public bouts.
Of the 13 competitive bouts (the youngest competitors aren’t scored), the Hunslet Club won 9: no mean feat, if not quite reaching the dizzy heights of their last big event in November, when they incredibly swept the board with 9 wins out of 9.
In other news, the following day (Saturday 22 April), Ismail Khan from Beeston – the English flyweight (52kg) and National University champion, and another one of the club’s boxers – narrowly lost out in the semi-finals of the England Boxing Elite Championships in Rotherham.
Dennis Robbins (centre) with Team Hunslet
Dennis Robbins, the Hunslet Club CEO and one of the boxing coaches, commented:
“We did well again, it was a great event with a big crowd – and special thanks to all our sponsors for their generosity. In the Elite Championships, Ismail did the club proud with his performance and attitude, but it wasn’t to be; he’ll bounce back stronger.”
Local sponsors included: Kasa, Sigma builders, Bennetts Butchers, Star Bounce, M + R Autotech, AJB Roofing, FSG Roofing, Moreish cafe, Aspect Contracts, and the Hunslet Trust.
The Hunslet Club has a long history of boxing, stretching back to its formation as Hunslet Boys Club in 1940. Nowadays, it holds boxing sessions and classes for all ages throughout the week – as well as football, rugby, gymnastics, ballet, community events, and more. For more info, visit hunsletclub.org.uk, or drop in anytime.
