Akash Tuqir crowned a Euro Youth champion
Hadley's Akash Tuqir has finally been crowned a champion after going all of the way in the European Youth Championships this afternoon.
The Shropshire flyweight saw off the challenge of Armenia's Badalyan Vahe in Poland to prevail from the final on points, writes Craig Birch.
They stepped through the ropes to determine who is the best at 52kg inside Kolobrzeg's Hala Millennium Arena, after 16 at the weight were whittled down.
Tuqir had already dumped out Irish former world junior champion Willie Donoghue and Slovakia's Filip Meszaros unanimously on points, after opening with a first round knockout of Spain's Jose Brotons Quiles.
The 17-year-old southpaw, who fights out of Merridale Boxing Club in Wolverhampton, completed a dream Euros debut for England and succeeded where he's failed four times before.
That's the amount of national club finals where the tall southpaw has had to settle for second best, but there was no stopping him this time.
As in the semi-final against Donoghue, Tuqir established the jab quickly and worked off the right hand to set up the sweeping left hook.
But, this time, his opponent matched his footwork and threw his punches effectively, forcing Tuqir to operate from a high guard in round two.
Decent boxing on the back-foot helped Tuqir through the sticky times and stopped Vahe, who was resourceful in his work, doubling up on his shots.
A big last session was needed from both fighters but it was Tuqir's blows who were cleaner this time, Vahe punished for operating with caution.
It went to the cards where the judges were again in no doubt, handing Tuqir another unanimous victory making him England's only champion in the week-long tournament.
The determined Tuqir vowed to seize the opportunity that has been five years in the making, after the aforementioned disappointments at club level.
He's fell at the last hurdle in two schoolboys, junior and this year's youth final but has been to the medal table representing his country, against the other British nations.
He was just 12 when he won Tri-Nations gold as a schoolboy, while he also took bronze at the Youth Three Nations in April.
