Boxing
A YOUNG Staindrop boxer has been selected to take part in a prestigious training scheme with England Boxing.
Dan Jackson, 17, who has been training and sparring at Barnard Castle Amateur Boxing Club for the past five years, has been selected to join the talent pathway scheme run by England Boxing.
The year-long scheme aims to help promising boxers develop their skills and abilities.
Dan Jackson will attend four training sessions throughout the year supervised by England coaches who will advise on training methods. Talent scouts were impressed by his performance at the National Youth Championships at Birtley, Tyne and Wear, earlier this month when he reached the finals in the 49kg category.
Although he lost out to Mykyle Ahmed, an England team boxer, Dan said he was “over the moon” at being selected for the programme and hopes to capitalise on the opportunity.
The youngster, who left school last year and joined the family skip hire business, already trains hard, running about five miles every other morning before work as well as training two to three nights a week at the boxing club.
He said: “It would be great to eventually represent my country in boxing and this is a step closer to doing that.”
The discovery programme means Dan will get to attend six training days with England coaches over the course of the next 12 months.
Father and boxing coach, Richard Jackson, said: “Dan got to the finals of the national youth champions and as a result of that performance he had been asked to go into the England discovery programme. We’re all really proud of him. He trains really hard and was up there with the best of them.
“Although he is the first boxer to be selected for the scheme from the club, he won’t be the last by any shot as we have so many talented young boxers here.”
Barnard Castle Boxing Club is based at Stainton Grove Industrial Estate and has about 30 active members.
Coaches Mr Jackson and Craig Harrison run training sessions on Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings that cost £3 per session. Juniors train between 6pm and 7pm and seniors between 7pm and 8pm.
Anyone interested in leaning more about Barnard Castle Amateur Boxing Club or wants to learn how to box, can get in touch via their social media page at www. face book.com/Barnard-Castle-Amateur-Boxing-Club.
