Halesowen boxing star targeting national title glory after injury hell

Halesowen boxing star Osama Mohamed is aiming to make it fourth time lucky as he bids for glory in the national amateur championships.

The 22-year-old fights this Saturday in the quarter-finals, aiming to put three years of injury frustration behind him.

Mohamed, who won a European bronze medal as a youth, has endured a catalogue of misfortune in the senior ranks, twice missing the nationals due to cuts before last year tearing his bicep.

But this year has so far been plain sailing, with a unanimous win over Croxteth’s Oliver Jones in last weekend’s pre-quarter finals setting up a last-eight bout against David Pegado of Norwich’s Thrive boxing gym in the under-65kg division.

“Many other lads would have jumped ship and called it a day before now,” said Kev Dillon, Mohamed’s long-time coach at Lions Boxing Club in Brierley Hill.

“It’s been bad luck after bad luck for Osama. All the previous years he has been seeded and ended up missing out.

“But the kid has a heap of talent and resilience. He has had so many setbacks. I think it shows just how determined he is that he keeps on coming back.”

Mohamed is not the only Lions boxer who will be involved in this Saturday’s quarter-finals, which take place at Rotherham’s Magna Science Adventure Centre.

William Wilson has also reached the last-eight of the under-70kg division for the first time following a majority points win over High Wycombe’s Tate Murphy.

The 20-year-old will face No.1 seed Jack Lambert of Laisterdyke ABC, targeting a place in Sunday’s semi-finals, with the championship finals due to be held in Derby on April 18.

“We are delighted for William,” said Dillon. “This is the sixth year he has won a Midlands title, either at junior, youth or senior level but the furthest he has got in the national tournament.

“It’s a tough draw but he will go into it with plenty of confidence.”