Kingdom Boxing Club: Kirkcaldy fighters land four gold medals at Boxing Scotland Development Championships

Pictured (from left) are Kingdom's four gold medallists, back - Jack Clark, Jake Berchtenbreiter, James Fish and front - Mikey Foy

Kingdom’s 12 competitors took their places within the 700 entrants from clubs across Scotland, part of the largest boxing championships in the UK and one of the biggest in Europe.

It was mixed fortunes for Kingdom boxers over the first weekend, some exiting in the preliminary rounds but others winning to progress to the finals weekend and two schoolboys making it to their respective finals.

First up was 11-year-old Robbie Doig, entering the ring for his first time in the 40kg 2012 class A final against Leo Wilson of Craigneuk BC from Wishaw.

Robbie Doig (right) got silver medal on his debut

It was a very close fight but when the announcement was made it was the Wishaw boxer who had his hand raised as the winner on points.

But Robbie undoubtedly did himself and the club proud with Kingdom coaches rating him landing a Scottish silver medal in his first fight as “a fantastic achievement”.

Next up for the final of his age and weight category was fellow Kingdom youngster Romeo Dryburgh, who boxed in the 37kg 2010 (13 years old) class A final against Korey Douglas of Livingston BC.

Again it wasn’t to be Kingdom’s day with the Livingston boxer being announced as the Scottish champion and the Kirkcaldy club having to settle for silver again.

Kingdom's Romeo Dryburgh (right) with silver medal

Kingdom then had eight boxers fighting on the second weekend, with four going out in either the quarter or semi-finals but four progressing to the finals of their categories on the last day of the championships on Sunday, with all four coming away with gold medals.

Having taken home two silvers the previous Sunday, the Kirkcaldy club’s coaches and boxers had worked extra hard during the week and decided there was no way they were coming home with silver medals.

Sure enough, in the Schoolboy 2009 42kg class A, Kingdom’s Mikey Foy beat Lewis Whitelaw of Springhill BC in his final on a points decision.

In the Junior 07 60kg class A, clubmate Jake Bertchenbreiter beat Arran Grant of Noble Art BC, Glasgow, again by a points decision.

Jack Clark then boxed in the final of the Youth 05 63.5kg class B, beating Lennon

Porter of Elgin BC by a unanimous points decision.

Last but not least was James Fish, who also won in the light heavyweight Youth 05 80kg class B against Dylan Bolland of Boxer Booth BC, Glasgow.

The southpaw who made it difficult for Fish but he came out on top of a split decision to take the gold medal, Kingdom’s fourth in four fights which is testament to the hard work of fighters, coaches and officials over the last few years.

The club will be busy until the end of the year as it now has boxers preparing for the Eastern District Youth and Elite Open Championships in November and Kingdom’s own annual ‘Boxing at the Bay’ show at Pettycur on Friday, December 8. This latter event was sold out within two days, a reflection on the club’s continuing success.