Byron Boxing club rising stars Liam Howe and Lokman Bendaoud have claimed Scottish Novice championship gold glory.
Knock-out specialist Howe, 20, registered four straight stoppages on the way to topping the podium in the 60kg division.
Italian Bendauod, 19, also delivered a stoppage in his run to securing 63.5kg success.
Howe and Bendauod were two of five gold medalists from Byron Boxing at the Scottish Novice Championships at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Centre.
They are the latest rising stars from a club that has produced a host of Scottish and British champions as well as professional stars.
Commonwealth bronze medalist John Docherty emerged from the Northfield based gym.
Docherty is now a professional, boasting 12 wins (nine knock-outs) and just one defeat.
Now the next breed of young boxers are ready to follow in Docherty’s footsteps.
Howe said: “I beat four boys in the weight division.
“Three of those wins came in the first round and then in the final I stopped my opponent in the second.
“That was way above my expectations as there were a few people to get through.
“I took it one fight at a time and got there.”
Aiming to emulate international stars
Howe and Bendauod are the latest rising talents emerging from the gym.
Byron Boxing Club star Sonny Kerr recently fought at the Brasov Open in Romania.
A multiple Scottish and British champion Kerr secured gold medal success at the prestigious Zagreb Open in Croatia in October 2021.
Kerr also travelled to Russia for a training camp with the Scotland squad last year.
Byron star Willie Williamson was also selected for an elite training camp and tournament in Russia last year.
Williamson impressed in the prestigious Nikolay Pavlykova Memorial tournament in Krasnodar, Russia – comprehensively defeating the Armenian champion.
Byron’s Fawaz Abarode fought for Scotland at the AIBA World Championships in Serbia last year.
Last week Abarode boxed for Scotland against England.
Howe aims to emulate Byron’s rising international stars.
He said: “Everyone Byron Boxing trains up to take to competitions is there to win.
“It is a very strong boxing club which is why I’m here.
“Fawaz went to the world championships and Sonny and William are both beating the best boys in different countries.
“They started here and we can do that as well.”
Sights set on a boxing future
Howe joined Byron Boxing Club in 2017 and hopes many more opportunities are on the horizon.
He said: “My coaches asked if I wanted to fight in the Scottish championships.
“I said yes on the spot, trained for it and then won it.
“After that tournament I feel confident. Hopefully more opportunities will pop up and I aim to take them.
“I’m really enjoying my boxing.”
Bendaoud aims to turn professional
Originally from Pisa in Italy, Bendaoud relocated to Scotland two years ago to study mechanical engineering.
He said: “I had three fights in the Scottish championships.
“The first was a stoppage and the last two I had to do three rounds and won both.
“My target was to get the gold medal.”
Bendaoud has also been inspired by the talent at the gym – and he is aiming to eventually hit it big in the professional ranks.
He said: “I had been boxing for a year back in Italy.
“When I came to Scotland two years ago I kept boxing.
“I was trying to find a good gym and when I came here I saw how they sparred and trained – and liked it.
“It is a great gym.
“My ambition is to become a world champion. I need to keep working hard.
“I will try to keep a good record in amateur boxing and then go professional.”
