SOUTH Wye Police Boxing Academy have been celebrating the show debut of their first boxer.

The academy, which opened its doors in April 2014 after the original Wye club moved to Lads Club, is based at Hinton Community Centre and officials and members travelled to Birmingham to support middleweight Yusuf Abdallah as he made his bow in the prestigious show at Gatecrasher Nightclub.

The young fighter, whose family originally come from Egypt, has been training at Hinton for around two years.

“He just walked through the door and said he wanted to learn how to box,” said club secretary Vince McNally.

“He liked what we could show him – the footwork, the movement and the defence – and he has taken it on from there.”

A party of 18 travelled up from Hereford, including Abdallah’s mother, father and two sisters, to support the young boxer at Gatecrasher at a show masterminded by England boxing coach Mick Maguire.

“We also took a couple of our younger boxers to experience the atmosphere of a top-end show,” said McNally.

Abdallah was up against Jay Hill from Cleary’s Boxing Club in Leamington Spa, an opponent older than Abdullah and who had already experienced his first bout.

At 72.4kg to Abdallah’s 69.4kg, he was also heavier than the Hereford man.

But it was Abdallah who came out on top with an impressive display.

“Hill had no answer to Yusuf’s skills,” said McNally.

“He was very skilful in his footwork and put his combinations together – he out-worked and out-boxed Hill to get a unanimous decision.

“There were plenty of celebrations afterwards.”

McNally and club chairman Richard Roberts are now busy planning the club’s next major show, the annual charity event at Hereford Sixth Form College on February 13.

The event will again be televised on the Sky channels and will feature England v Wales contests.

“One of Yusuf’s next bouts will hopefully also be as part of the show,” said McNally.

And having Abdallah around could prove handy should anyone sustain an injury.

The Bishop of Hereford’s Bluecoat School and Hereford Sixth Form College old boy is now in his second year as a medical student at the University of Birmingham so he’s ideally placed to offer advice.

“Yusuf sometimes commutes to university from Hereford because he doesn’t want to miss out on training at the club,” said McNally.

“His dedication and discipline is inspiring to the younger boxers.

“The old idea that boxers are all muscle and no brain is completely wrong – most of the ones who get to the top are very clever people.”

Abdullah wasn’t the only boxer, and winner, on the Gatecrasher bill with a medical – and a Hereford – connection. Also boxing was Katie Ramm, who is a junior doctor in Birmingham.

“She came down to the club in the lead-up to the Gatecrasher night for some sparring with one of our young boxers Rhiannon Roberts,” said McNally.