Amateur boxing: Title success for South London fighters

South London gym Churchill’s are celebrating a new national champion after schoolteacher Demi Carter won the England Boxing National Amateur Championships at the weekend.

The 28-year-old, who received a bye through the quarter-finals and semi-finals, won a split decision over Jerry-Lee Palmer at Manchester Central on Saturday.

Samm Mullins, head coach at the Lambeth-based club, said: “The girl walked into my gym at 92 kilos and got down to 75 – she has turned her life around.

“For women’s boxing, and people in our gym, Demi is an inspiration. She has gone from a standard boxer to number one in Britain.

“There is a GB slot up for grabs now because the girl who won gold at the Olympics, Lauren Price, has turned professional.

“As much as the result says it was a split decision it was 4-1, only one judge went against her.”

Eltham’s Sacha Hickey, who boxes out of Canning Town’s Peacock Gym, won the female U63kg title with a split decision over Sarah Dunne (Metro).

Hickey had won unanimous decisions over Harli Whitwell (St Ives) and Sabrina Faizal (Bicester) in her semi-final and quarter-final respectively.

Vivien Parsons, from Brixton club Afewee, looked unlucky to lose a split verdict against Lucy Kings-Wheatley (Acocks Green) in the female U60kg category.

Bromley’s Teddy Gray (2BX Boxing Club), pictured inset, won the London ABA’s England Boxing National Schools Championship for 32-34kg.

Cameron O’Callaghan, one of his coaches, said: “Teddy did really well to get through to the final and had a very tough opponent “