TEN North-East boxers have qualified for the final stages of the England Boxing Elite National Championships, which take place in the Echo Arena at Liverpool this weekend.

The eight men and two women represent clubs in Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Sunderland, North Shields, Gateshead and Blyth, with three hailing from Birtley ABC, which was the most successful club at the 2015 Championships, winning three of the ten male weight divisions.

This year’s contingent is headed by Birtley’s Calum French, who won last year’s bantamweight title and is competing in the lightweight division this year. He is joined at lightweight by Hartlepool’s Adam Cope.

Sunderland’s Kiaran Macdonald (light-flyweight), Middlesbrough’s Muzzy Fuyana (flyweight), High Fell’s Jeff Neshum (bantamweight), Blyth’s Michael Webster (Hartlepool) and Birtley duo Joe Laws (welterweight) and Dean Laing (light-heavyweight) complete the North-East entry list in the men’s section.

Hartlepool’s Shelby Brazell (featherweight) and North Shields’ Hannah Shield (welterweight) are the two North-East women who have qualified to fight on Merseyside.

“The finals weekend of the Elite National Championships is one of the highlights of the boxing calendar,” said England Boxing board member Giorgio Brugnoli.  “It is steeped in history and an opportunity for boxers to make a name for themselves and show they are the best at their weight in England.

“Previous winners include big names like Anthony Joshua, Carl Froch, Frank Bruno, David Haye, Nigel Benn and, in the women’s competition, Nicola Adams, and I am sure that this weekend we will see some boxers that go on to become major stars of the future.”