Ben Rees in Russia to represent England at AIBA Youth World Boxing Championships

Ben Rees, who now fights out of Birtley ABC, is representing his country in the middleweight 75kg category at the event in St Petersburg.

The 18-year-old, a workshop apprentice at HTL in Cramlington, won a bronze medal at the EUBC European Youth Championships earlier in the year.

An intensive training programme and various preparation camps with a dedicated lead coach have fully equipped Rees to compete for the championships.

He said: “I went to the EUBC European Youth Championships confident and returned proud to own a bronze medal.

“Now I am delighted to have been selected to represent England by competing in the Youth World Championships.

“I feel I have worked extremely hard to prepare to step up to the challenge and represent England, and I’d love to return home with another medal.

“I would like to thank HTL for their continued support and sponsorship.”