Boxing: Local fighters can win titles, says Harrison

Published on Friday 12 June 2009 10:10

NATIONAL amateur boxing coach Peter Harrison believes local fighters are in with medal chances at the British Junior Championships at Portobello Town Hall.

The championships take place later today and tomorrow and pit the cream of young Scottish talent born in 1993 and 1994 against their English and Welsh counterparts.

And Harrison said: "South Queensferry lightweight Stuart Blackie is a real dark horse to win a medal as he is a cagey southpaw with ring wisdom beyond his years.

"Midlothian light-flyweight, Dylan Moffat proved his class recently in Finland where he won a gold medal in a multi-nations tournament and I'm hopeful that he can produce similar form at Portobello.

"Dylan's Midlothian welterweight club-mate Max Niven has also impressed me in squad training sessions at Meadowbank and Fauldhouse middleweight Scott Forrest is a big puncher, who will always have a chance."

There are 37 Scots boxers taking part this weekend and Harrison admits they will suffer through a comparative lack of experience.

He said: "I'm not pretending it will be easy, especially when you consider that the average English boxer will have had 30 bouts to the 13 bouts, on average, that my boxers will have had.

"But morale has been high among the lads in training sessions at Meadowbank and Glasgow and I'm confident we can do well."

The semi-finals take place this afternoon and in an evening session which starts at 7.00pm.

The Finals will be held tomorrow over two sessions starting at 1.30pm and 7.30pm.

Spectators can pay the door and admission is 15 per day, covering both sessions.