JACK MARSHALL is bidding to become a national boxing champion just a year after taking up the sport.

The 15-year-old Henry’s Gym fighter has won through to the National Development Championships 50kg final, which will be staged in Oxfordshire tomorrow.

He overcame one of the competition’s favourites Austin Hornsby, of Tameside Elite, in the last eight before defeating Midlands fighter Alan Duggan in the semi-finals.

Marshall is trained by York’s former world championship contender Henry Wharton at his Acomb gym and the proud coach enthused: “Jack was relentless in his pursuit of victory and reaching the national final is an unbelievable achievement for somebody who has only been boxing 12 months.

“He has had ten bouts and only been been beaten once when he was robbed in Denmark.”

Marshall’s Henry’s Gym stable-mate Nathan Shepherd, 19, also reached the national semi-finals in the 69kg class, where he was unlucky to lose on a split decision to 25-year-old Midlands champion Yusuf Abdallah in a “no holds barred contest”.

Their achievements followed on from George Davey’s gold-medal performance for Henry’s at the Eindhoven Cup.

In a high-quality tournament, Henry’s four-strong contingent were largely pitted against opponents representing their country rather than a club, with world champions and Olympians among those competing.

Davey had a walkover in the last eight, before beating the 69kg’s best German Anas El-Abid, winning a 5-0 decision.

He then overcame Sam Wagensveld - the competition’s defending champion from the host country – in the final 4-1 and a proud Wharton added: “George fought on another level and he has now won a gold medal in Holland, three in Denmark and one in Haringey, as well as holding the Northern and Yorkshire Elite belts.

“It cannot be much longer now before he receives an England call-up.”

Also in Eindhoven, Rob Magill went out in the quarter-finals of the 75kg class, pushing Slovakian Aliaz Venko all the way before his opponent, who went on to take the gold medal, was given a 4-1 decision.

John-Patrick Harker went toe-to-toe, meanwhile, with German national champion and Olympian Younes Zarraa in his last-eight 60kg bout, before losing out on points.

In the 64kg class, Rafa Banka received a bye into the semi-finals, where he fought the current world champion Ganbaatar Bayarkhuu, from Mongolia, who won with a third-round stoppage after an even opening two rounds.

Henry’s Gym are also staging a show tonight with doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Admission is £15 for adults and £7 for juniors.