By Tony Saleni

Today, the East Midlands region once again proved why it is the beating heart of English amateur boxing, hosting a sensational event that dazzled everyone in attendance. In a true festival of fists and heart, 15 of our boxers stormed their way into the quarter-finals, showcasing a remarkable depth of skill, grit, and sheer willpower.

Visiting officials from across the country couldn’t stop singing praises about the incredible standard of our school category boxers — a testament to the tireless work being done at grassroots level. Special recognition goes to Supervisor Clare Lynch, whose impeccable organisation ensured the event ran like clockwork. It was my personal honour not only to officiate but also to help organise such a memorable day for our region.

One club truly stole the spotlight: City of Leicester Lightning, who fielded a staggering nine young warriors! Full credit to coaches Elvis and Chris for their outstanding commitment to developing future champions — an extraordinary achievement that didn’t go unnoticed by the crowd or officials with 6 of the 9 making it through to the next round.

The event wasn’t just a sporting triumph; it was a financial success for the East Midlands as well, further cementing our reputation for hosting first-class competitions.

Adding even more prestige to today’s occasion, we were thrilled to welcome two national amateur champions, the Huczman brothers, who joined us to present trophies to our rising stars — an inspiring moment for everyone involved.

And speaking of stars, a thunderous round of applause goes to our Boxer of the Day, the electrifying Joe Lewis “KO JOE” Wilshier,  from City Of Leicester Lightning whose performances lit up the ring and left a lasting impression on everyone lucky enough to witness his brilliance.
But it wasn’t an easy decision — two other outstanding talents made their mark:

• Shea “The Crusher” McCusker from Exhall, whose relentless pressure and devastating combinations thrilled the crowd, and

• Ijaz “Jaaz” Khalid of Leicester Unity, a young sensation who continues to impress. Khalid, who recently captured the Minors Title, is now looking to add the prestigious Class A Golden Gloves to his growing Trophy collection, having already secured that title last year. His dazzling skills weren’t the only thing that lit up the day — Khalid capped off his bout in style with a spectacular backflip celebration, bringing the crowd to its feet a serious talent and a born showman.

All three displayed championship qualities and are without doubt names to watch in the coming years.

It’s worth remembering that at our previous major event — the East Midlands Regional Finals — we had the honour of hosting Heavyweight World Champion Daniel Dubois and Olympic bronze medallist Frazer Clarke, whose presence underlined the growing prestige of boxing in our region. Their visit marked a huge moment for the East Midlands, further inspiring our young talents to dream bigger and aim higher.

Today wasn’t just another event. It was a statement:
East Midlands boxing is thriving, unstoppable, and marching proudly into a golden future.