Sykes sets England off to flying start
9th September 2011Boxer Samson Sykes got England’s Commonwealth Youth Games campaign off to a thumping start in the Isle of Man this afternoon as the 17-year-old from Earl Shilton, near Coventry, produced a knock-out blow to win his preliminary flyweight bout in the first round, while bantamweight Qais Ashfaq from Leeds also made it through to Friday’s quarter-finals with a points victory in his opening fight.
Sykes was the first of England’s 78-strong team to compete in the Isle of Man as the boxing preliminaries got the Games underway at the Villa Marina in Douglas just hours before the Opening Ceremony this evening. And the man from the Capital ABC club made the best possible start as he floored Filipe Manjate from Mozambique with a left hook to the body after less than three minutes.
“I wanted to win quickly but I was surprised with how well it went,” said Sykes, who won the national Club for Young People title last year. “I’ve been training on body shocks but I never thought I’d win like that. It’s great to get England off to such a good start.
“I was nervous before the fight and just wanted to win whichever way was quickest,” added Sykes, who was supported by his brother Westley who turns 15 tomorrow.
“It’ll be a great birthday present for him. Hopefully there’ll be another one tomorrow.”
Sykes faces Henry Ummings from Papua New Guinea in the quarter-finals tomorrow when he’ll be joined by Ashfaq who comprehensively defeated Dylan Cooney in his opening 56kg bout today. The 18-year-old from the Burmantofs club out-pointed his Australian opponent 15-3 over the three rounds and will now face Scotland’s European bronze medallist in the last eight.
Ashfaq had to think on his feet in the opening round when he was surprised to see Cooney boxing southpaw, but the Otley man improvised quickly to get on top of the outclassed Australian.
“I normally box southpaw but it wasn’t working at the start, so I went orthodox and let him come on to the shots until he opened up,” said Ashfaq. “By the second round I’d sussed him out a bit and in the third he got desperate.
“I really want the gold here,” added the 2010 British three nations youth champion. “I beat McKeown in Dublin a month ago so hopefully I will beat him again tomorrow.”
Boxing team leader Martin Webb said that he couldn’t have asked for a better start to England’s CYG campaign. “It was a great start, especially that first fight,” he said. “Performances like those just settle the nerves.”
All seven England boxers will fight tomorrow as the quarter-finals get underway in the Villa Marina at 12 noon.