VALLEYFIELD Miners Boxing Club has a new champion after Aiden Wilson claimed glory at Boxing Scotland's Novice Championships.

The 17-year-old, along with Kyle Anderson, represented the club at the competition, which was held for the first time in almost two-and-a-half years because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Taking place at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility in Motherwell, over two successive weekends last month, nearly 800 male and female boxers, across a variety of age and weight categories, took part in pursuit of a Scottish title.

For Aiden, who hails from Cardenden, his performance packed a punch as he collected a fine gold medal in the junior male 2005 67kg category by defeating Harris Chohan, from the Skyaxe club in Dundee.

Anderson, from Crossford, was competing in the elite male 75kg category and, in what was his first competitive bout, was unfortunate to come out on the wrong side of a tough fight with Aberdeen University Boxing Club's Franciszek Gębka on a points decision.

James White, a coach with Valleyfield Miners, commented: "It was a decent enough tournament and we did really well.

"Aiden did well to win; it was a good performance. He's won the Eastern District and the Scottish Novices in six fights, and it was a really strong boy from Dundee that he was in with.

"To win and get down to the weight, he did really well."

Following the Novice Championships, Aiden, along with Niamh Mitchell, travelled south to compete in a show run by County Durham-based North Road Gym and Fight Fitness Guru, which James said would provide a good test for Niamh in particular.

"The club is a wee bit quieter just now," he added.

"Our numbers are not too bad. It's like everything else; we just need a run at it."