Martin sets the example to fellow juniors

BOXING is fighting back. And the explosion of schoolboy interest in the sport locally is being linked to the success of Tom Martin. The Amalgamated Boys' Club, based in St Martin's, now has between 12 and 15 youngsters training regularly at its gym throughout the week.

'We've never had so many youngsters,' said senior coach Graham Guilbert.

'The success and coverage of Tom Martin , particularly through the Guernsey Press, has led to more youngsters getting into the sport.

'Some of the newcomers go to school with Tom but some have just come along because they have seen his achievements,' said Guilbert.

'We also now have five or six good fighters coming through where before we only had two or three.'

As well as Martin, juniors Callum Pearson, Simon Murphy, James Woolnough and Daniel Harvey, are all progressing well.

Martin, 14, is the Western Counties schoolboy champion and reached the quarter-finals of the nationwide Amateur Boxing Association schoolboy tournament last year.

'Tom is advanced for his years. He is very light, only 27 kilos, but he is strong for his weight. He is like a little animal. He gets stuck in straight from the start but he is also very skilful. We have been working over the summer to improve his technique, which was already very good,' said Guilbert.

'Last year he was brilliant. It was the first time he had been in such high level competition and he was very, very good. He got a bit overwhelmed in the national quarter-finals, but he will now know all about the set-up this year.'

Martin will begin this season's campaign with a dinner boxing bout on Friday 28 November at St Pierre Park Hotel. He will then travel to England for the Western Counties tournament. If he wins there he will then be on the national stage once more and in with a chance of being selected for England schoolboys.

'If he carries on progressing, he has every chance of making it to the senior ABA finals in the future,' added his coach.

* Anyone interested is welcome to attend training on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays from 5.15pm.