Hastings ace controversially denied national quarter-finals place

A West Hill Boxing Club young prospect missed out on a place in the quarter-finals of a national competition in controversial circumstances.
Caleb Palmer was on the wrong end of a controversial points decisionCaleb Palmer was on the wrong end of a controversial points decision
Caleb Palmer was on the wrong end of a controversial points decision

Caleb Palmer lost on a 3-2 split decision against Emal Hamdan, of host club Pinewood ABC, in the pre quarter-finals of the Schools’ Championships last weekend.

West Hill coach Dave Bishop said: “All the other coaches who were there said ‘we can’t believe that’. It’s a real shame for him to go out that way, but he’s done the club proud. He’s boxed from the second round onwards and he should be in the quarter-finals.”

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See also: * Hastings talent crowned southern counties champion* Hastings talent gets a taste of international competition* Hastings ace wins national titleThe very tall figure of Hamdan won the first round, but after a talking-to from his corner, Palmer was a different boxer in the second, cutting the ring down and reducing his opponent to holding him for much of the time.

Palmer hammered his opponent all around the ring in the third round and Hamdan picked up five warnings for holding. Although all three judges gave that round to Palmer, he didn’t get the overall decision.

Palmer can take comfort from being the southern counties champion in the birth year 2007, 32-34 kilos category, but will feel he ought to have been heading to Sudbury for the national quarter-finals tomorrow (Saturday).

Another West Hill junior, Ben Moore, will be going to Sudbury to face Charlie Brown (Hoddesdon) in his quarter-final.

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The bout was originally scheduled to have taken place on the same show as Palmer’s last weekend and Moore travelled to the venue with his family only to be told it had been put back a week.

William White has a walkover through to the semi-finals, which will take place at K2 Crawley on Saturday May 18, and Lily Ramshaw is through to the final at the same venue the following day.

Sahab Caglayan, the younger brother of recently crowned national champion Huma, is due to contest his first competitive bout on Bexhill Boxing Club’s show at Pebsham Community Centre tomorrow.

Bexhill Boxing Club hopes to have around 10 of its boxers in action, as well as several cross matches involving boxers from other clubs. Boxers will be travelling from as far afield as London and even Colchester to compete.

Doors will open at 6.30pm and the boxing will start around an hour later. Admission is £15 for adults and £7 for under-16s, and any profits made will go back into running the club.

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