Next generation

Sam Riley, 13, Jordan Murphy, 12 and his youngster sister Ellie, 8, all took to the ring for the first time, in an ‘interclub’ fight show at Spartans Gym in Middleton, near Manchester.

Thai Boxing or ‘Muay Thai’ is the national sport of Thailand and involves the use of kicks, knees, boxing and elbows making it one of the worlds toughest combat sports.

But for obvious safety reasons the children fight without head contact and wearing full protective wear.

Former British and European champion Phil Glover, head coach at Maltby, puts a lot of his fighters into gym shows and believes it helps develop the youngsters.

He said: “Interclub fights are more controlled but are still very tough for those taking part, and even though there is no winner or loser, all fighters get a trophy for their efforts and it’s a great experience for everyone involved, including the many families that go and support their children.”

Phil is hoping that more of his prospects will compete on 7th July in Manchester, with 11-year-old Owen Tomlinson and 10-year-old Josh Swift lined up to fight on the Celtic Challenge show, taking on some of the best fighters from around the UK.

Anyone wanting to take up Thai Boxing with Phil at his Maltby club can telephone 07999 702676 for more details.