Martin lands area title

TOM MARTIN has become the western counties champion at 42kilos. By winning that title, the 13-year-old from Graham Guilbert's stable at the Amalgamated Boys' Club has progressed through to the quarter-finals of the Schoolboy ABA Champion-ships at his first attempt.

'Tom is looking like something else now.

'He is really good technically, he's as fit as anything and his mind is in the right place,' said Guilbert.

'He has never been to the schoolboys' before. I thought about putting him in last year, but I am glad I left him another year.'

Martin now travels to Basildon on 1 March for his next bout in the competition and his coach believes that he has the ability to progress even further.

'If he manages to get through the quarter-finals, he has only two rounds after that.

'Really, at his weight, he is very strong and, although he needs a bit of luck, he has got every chance of making it through to the semi-finals and then the final,' Guilbert said.

However, Martin has to wait only until tomorrow for his next bout when he is on the card for Guernsey's match with North-East Counties at St Pierre Park.

The local side includes three Jersey boxers and one from Alderney but it is Sarnian Ben Duff who tops the bill.

'Both Ben and Tom Duff have bouts and they have been training non-stop since Christmas. I was hoping to get all three brothers on the card but Michael has just had exams so he won't be boxing.

'Elsewhere, Howard Durey is looking really good, Bradley Watson has been working hard and is looking tasty while we have another 13-year-old lad called Pearson who is making his debut,' Guilbert added.

Matt Jennings does not feature on the card because the following day he travels to Bristol for the first round of the ABA Champion-ships.

However, his preparations were altered after he found out that there would be no competition at his favoured weight.

'We had quite a bit of a dilemma because there is no more light-middleweight or cruiserweight, which is what Matt usually fights at,' said Guilbert.

'He could have gone up to heavyweight at 91kg but he would have met some super-heavyweights coming down a class so we decided that he would have to try light-heavyweight from 75-81kg.

'He is now spot on 81kg. He has done really well, he is quite strong at it and technically he is looking really good.'