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Walsall Wood trio among NAGBC contenders

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Three Walsall Wood Boxing Club fighters are in line for area titles in the revived National Association of Girls & Boys Championships.

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Shaun Healy's gym, on Lichfield Road in Brownhills, have a decent contingent still involved after the first regional round last weekend,

writes Craig Birch.

The NAGBCs are up and running again after a two-year absence, becoming defunct in England Boxing's competition revamp for the 2014 season.

The first punches were thrown at the Standard Triumph Social Club in Coventry on Sunday, with box-offs needed tonight and Sunday before the area can meet their East Midlands counterparts.

Class A - for boxers born in 2000 - will see Wood's Zaryab Khan take the West Midlands certificate without boxing, with no other entrant at 54kg.

Club-mate Hamza Ahmed will take on Atherstone's Daniel Bance in the 57kg area decider, at the old Marston Stadium in Hinckley, on Sunday.

Ahmed defeated Rhamatullah Sher, from Lions in Dudley, unanimously on points to make progress in the tournament.

Warley's Owen Brown bowed out at 50kg with a unanimous defeat to Tom Ward, from the Tom Lowe club in Stoke-on-Trent.

Former England Schools winner and European bronze medallist Jerry Mongan, from Priory Park in Dudley, will begin his quest for a second national title on Sunday.

He will step through the ropes at 63kg with Aston's Ellis Truman, who first had to see off Worcester City's Owen Cooper unanimously.

Back on the title trail - Priory Park's Jerry Mongan (middle) is among the NAGBC line-up for this weekend.

Conna Hincks, from Merridale in Wolverhampton, is also gunning to become a national champion again just two weeks on from his England Junior Development glory.

'The Bradley Bullet' - from Bilston - stuck to skill and got the nod over Worcester's George Butler on a split decision at 66kg. Hincks now tackles Brandon Pinnock, from Christ the King in Coventry, on Sunday.

In Class B (1999), Priory Park's Sam Gwilt has been paired with Usman Ali, from Eastside in Birmingham. Ali conquered Harry Conlan, from Brooklands in Dudley, unanimously last weekend.

Warley's Shane Bastable was pulled out of his contest with Triumph's Aaron Bowen after two rounds at 75kg, retiring due to a hand injury.

In Class C (1997-98), Wood's Ibrahim Khan faces Stoke Staffs' Tom Stokes on Sunday. He'll be looking to get revenge for club-mate Rory Leighton, who lost unanimously to Stokes last weekend.

A 60kg battle between Pleck's James Beech and Triumph's Jamie Edwards will be one of four NAGBC box-offs on Shrewsbury & Severnside's club show at the Lord Hill Hotel tonight.

Beech downed Nathan Lane, from former British champion Wayne Elcock's gym in Birmingham, to set up the meeting with the fresh Edwards.

The winner moves on to Sunday's area final against Eastside's Tom Collins, who defeated Aston's Ryan Talwar unanimously in the first round.

An all-Dudley battle could also come in Hinckley at 64kg, with Brooklands' Ethan Collins awaiting his opponent after a unanimous victory over Wood's Kameron Cooper.

Priory Park's Sam Russell will thrash it out in Shrewsbury tonight with Aston's Jaimet Sandhu, who beat Triumph's Darren Cooke unanimously.

Pleck's Zoahib Hanif joins him on the bill this evening, as he's still in with a shout of making Sunday's 69kg area final with one of two box-offs. Eight at the weight have been reduced to four already.

Hanif has landed Triumph's Bradley Goldsmith, after a unanimous success over Aston's George Taylor. Wayne Elcock's Patrick Dunne and Eastside's Irfan Ali are also still involved.

Warley's Coree Clarke, England Youth finalist and Three Nations gold medallist this year, fell at the first hurdle at 91kg to Lewis Williams, from Clearys in Leamington Spa, unanimously.

Dudley's Paige Goodyear, a former Schools national champion, has walked over the West Midlands phase with no opponents in Class A's 52kg girls section.

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