Sudbury Amateur Boxing Club are celebrating their second female national champion of the year after Dolly Bishop triumphed at the England Boxing National Schools Championships Finals Day held at Northumbria University in Newcastle.
Head coach Neil Anderson hailed the 12-year-old’s ‘composed’ performance to take victory on a 3-2 split decision against the more experienced Lexi Joyce from renowned Jimmy Egans Boxing Academy in Manchester in the Female Class A Under 44kg category.
It follows on from 15-year-old Ellie Spencer being crowned the club’s first National Junior Championships winner in March.
Following her victory on May 12, Bishop, who splits her time between her parents in Sudbury and Tiptree, becomes only the club’s second National Schools champion, after Ellie Mateer claimed the ‘golden gloves’ prize for winners in 2019.
Of what was only her second ever bout, having struggled to get opponents in her two years with the club, Anderson felt it was a very mature performance.
He said: “The other girl was a lot more experienced but Dolly’s quite tall and she just boxed really nice at range.
“She was really composed, picked her shots and it was really lovely boxing.
“I thought she did more than enough to win it.
“For a girl who has had two bouts she is really decent and she’s really got something about her.”
He also felt the victory was a reward for all her efforts leading up to the fight.
“She’s worked really hard the last two months, loads of running and everything,” he said.
“On Sunday morning there have been lots of sparring trips, she’s put a lot of work and effort into it even though it’s been frustrating (not getting bouts).”
The club held a home show at Sudbury Rugby Club on Saturday with her little brother Teddy, described as ‘super talented’ by Anderson, among eight winners from their 12 bouts. He said it takes their total success rate for the season to 50 from 74 bouts.
It was planned that Dolly Bishop would fight but her opponent pulled out, while Spencer was among the victors against a girl from Wales.
