England crowned Best Team at U15 European Championships

England Performance has been crowned Best Team at the U15 European Championships in Budva, Montenegro, following a remarkable Finals Day of success that saw the squad collect 10 gold, one silver and two bronze medals.

The result cements England’s place as the leading U15 boxing nation in Europe, finishing ahead of Ukraine, Georgia and Ireland in the overall team standings.

England entered Finals Day with an impressive 11 finalists, having already secured two bronze medals through Laylah Beecher (Tommy Coyle’s) and Tommy Catanach (Newham).

After Alice Cash (Hoddesdon) narrowly missed out on gold to claim silver, England went on an incredible winning streak to close the competition with 10 gold medal victories from the remaining bouts.

The feat is even more impressive given that all 16 selected boxers were competing at a European Championships for the very first time, and that four of them were born in 2012, meaning they were boxing a year ahead of their age group.

Among the younger talents were gold medallists Mason Long (Longs ABC) and Shane Keet (Heart of Portsmouth), silver medallist Alice Cash (Hoddesdon) and Kayden Agostinho (Thurrock), who reached the quarterfinals – gaining invaluable international experience.

Leona Anaman (Longs ABC) repeatedly delivered standout performances in the tournament, winning gold in style and being named Best Female Boxer of the competition.

Leona was grateful to be surrounded by loved ones as she captured the hardware: “Winning gold out here in Montenegro means everything to me.

“It’s all I’ve ever wanted and I’m proud to be doing it out here in front of all these people who all mean so much to me.”

Evander Dickinson (Dickinson’s SoB) also secured gold, following in the footsteps of his brothers who previously boxed for England.

“Winning gold means everything to me, to be honest.

“I’ve been training for it since I was very small. All my brothers have boxed for England and my older brother Mark; he went to the Europeans and won gold.

“As a schoolboy (U15) he got bronze at the Europeans, so this means everything to me and I’m absolutely buzzing.”

England Lead Coach in Montenegro, David Johnston, praised the team’s professionalism, attitude and unity throughout the tournament.

“What a great achievement for England Boxing.

“This was a fantastic competition and one where every single boxer represented their country with tremendous attitude, resilience, and professionalism.

“I’d like to offer a huge thank you to all of the club coaches who have supported and guided the young boxers that represented England at these European Championships. Your hard work has truly shone through.

“Finally, a massive credit must be shown to the three national coaches Carl Ellis, Kerry Chalk and Liam Alloway and the team manager Martin Webb, who were outstanding throughout the competition – both in and out of the ring. Our English referee Liam Harkin was also a credit to his country in Montenegro.

“Our competition motto is ‘We don’t come to take part; we come to take over’ and we certainly proved that.”

This latest triumph continues a golden run for England Performance, whose success at all age levels underlines the strength and depth of its pathway and reaffirms the dedication of the country’s clubs, coaches and volunteers.

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