A TEENAGE boxer will be flying the flag for Scotland at a national championships later this year.
Ryan Barbour qualified for the British Boxing Championships after winning his category at the School & Junior Golden Gloves Championships at the end of last month.
His proud dad Paul told Courier Sport what the success meant to his son, who was crowned champion in the 2007 57 kilogramme category.
He said: “He is absolutely delighted with representing Scotland; over the moon.
“It is what he is aspiring to do and part of what he is pushing for.
“He wants to box for his country and get as many fights as possible and push on.
“It is the right way to go at his age and to push further up the ladder.
“He is starting to find his form now.
“He has fought three tough fights in the space of five weeks, winning them all.”
The latest success came at Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, near Motherwell, over two weekends in February.
After defeating his opponent from Lochend Boxing Club in the semi-final, 16-year-old Ryan returned to the venue and took on his rival from Rob Roy Boxing Club, who he defeated earlier this year in the Scottish Intermediate Finals.
His dad described the rematch as “a close fight” and said: “It was a far tougher fight this time.
“The lad he boxed had clearly learned from their first fight.
“He changed his tactics up and it was a razor-tight decision.
“Ryan boxed really well, really aggressively, and I felt he comfortably took two of the three rounds to win it.
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“It went to a 3-2 split decision where three of the judges were in his favour and two were in his opponent’s favour.
“It was really close and there was great boxing from both boys.”
Ryan, who lives in Musselburgh, has been boxing as an amateur for a year and trains four or five times a week at Meadowbank Amateur Boxing Club in Edinburgh.
A date and venue are yet to be confirmed for the British Boxing Championships, where Ryan, who is in S4 at Musselburgh Grammar School, will meet the champions from other nations.
Before then, the teenager will continue to clock up the rounds, including at Tynecastle Park for the Capital boxing club’s home show, which takes place next month.
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