BURY ABC coach Mick Jelley praised the attitude of his boxers after senior stalwart Brian Rennie and youngster Aliakbar Javid lost narrowly in finals on Saturday.

After four good wins to get into the last two of the 40-41.5k division of the National Minors Championships, Javid, aged 11, was beaten unanimously on points by Waterside ABC’s George Joy.

Rennie, aged 29, also went the distance, with Jack Cullen, of Pool of Life ABC, before losing by the same verdict in the 75k final of the Greater Manchester Elite Championships.

“As a coach you always worry about your boxers going into fights and, when the results don’t go their way you sometimes struggle to get to sleep at night fretting about them and the verdict,” said Jelley.

“But that wasn’t the case at the weekend. I was so pleased by the way my boxers handled themselves in defeat.

“There were no tantrums – Brian wished his opponent good luck for the rest of the competition, while young Aliakbar held his head high and that’s what sport is all about.

“If you dedicate yourself to something and try to do your best, then that’s all you can ask.”