Yorkshire's amateur boxing duo fighting to strengthen bid for a place on Great Britain '˜Podium' team

conor loftus, Dalton Smith and Cory O'Regan represent Yorkshire in tonight's GB Championships at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield (6.30pm).
By The Newsroom
Published 8th Dec 2016, 05:39 BST
Updated 14th Dec 2016, 13:33 BST
Connor Loftus is in action in the GB amateur boxing championships tomorrowConnor Loftus is in action in the GB amateur boxing championships tomorrow
Connor Loftus is in action in the GB amateur boxing championships tomorrow

The competition features three women’s bouts and eight for men, with the winners of this year’s GB Elite Three Nations facing a boxer from the GB Boxing squad to identify the GB champion for 2016. Loftus, from Leeds, takes on fellow English fighter Carl Fail in the 69kg category while Smith, from Sheffield, fights Martin McDonagh (Rumbles ABC) at 64kg. Loftus and Smith are already part of the GB Boxing squad while Bradford fighter O’Regan will represent England against GB boxer Calum French at 60kg.

Loftus says tonight’s bouts are significant with a view to 2017.

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“There’s only so many tournaments and you can only send one boxer to each tournament so we are fighting for that spot,” he said. “Whoever wins this gets that little bit of an edge on the other – especially with the contract of the ‘Podium’ boxers (largely current Olympians) running out in March or April.

“They are going to be looking to move people on to the ‘Podium’ team and this will be our last fight before that happens.”

Tickets for the event are available at www.ticketsdirect.org.uk/gbchamps.

Related topics:YorkshireGreat BritainDalton Smith