Rising star Niamh Winters on a Euro mission

Niamh Winters, from Wolverhampton, did School Street Boxing Club proud at the National Schools Championship Finals in Grantham.

Competing in the 46kg category, the 13-year-old overcame Wirral’s Elle O’Brien in the final.

Coach Daniel Downs was full of praise for the golden gloves winner, saying: “She’s been with me for around two-and-a-half years and this is the first national champion we’ve had.

“We’ve had a couple of semi-finalists before, but this is the first one we’ve had go all the way so we’re massively proud of her.

“She runs three times a week, hill sprints – she lives the life of a proper young boxer. She’s so dedicated and has worked so hard to get where she is.

“She’ll be doing stuff with the England set-up and then potentially be looking at the Europeans. It’s fantastic.”

Winters entered the competition at the divisional rounds but there was no one in her category for her to box until the national stages, where she entered into the semi-final draw.

The draw took place and with one of the four girls pulling out again, someone had to have a bye to last month’s final and the draw chose her.

“While the other two girls boxed in a close-fought contest to decide who Niamh would face in the final, we kept her busy sparring and maintaining her condition while her mother kept an eye on Niamh’s weight, making sure she didn’t exceed the 46.5kg limit,” added Downs.

“In the final she boxed Elle O’Brien, from Wirral CP Boxing Club, who had had won three so was no pushover, and the final proved that. Both girls pushed each other to the limit and gave a tremendous account of themselves but this year’s title was only going home with Niamh as she bit down on her gumshield and out-worked Elle over the three rounds.”

Having represented School Street Boxing Club at the nationals, she will now be based out of Evolution Boxing in Essington – still beingcoached by Downs and her father Melvin, who added: “She’s been doing it for three years and has done really well.

“She knows how hard it is, the training and everything, and that hard work has paid off. Now, hopefully she’ll be training at the England set-up in Sheffield and then looking at the Europeans. That’s the aim.”