BOXING: Bury ABC fighters Hassan Mahmood and Sahir Iqbal coasted into the quarter-finals of the Schoolboy Championships with fine victories at the weekend.

Mahmood, fighting at 46-48 kilos, beat Lewis Broad (Wigan ABC) when the referee stopped the bout in the second round after the Bury ace had forced two standing counts. Iqbal’s opponent, Jordan Stevenson (Long Lane ABC), retired on his stool at the end of the first round.

However, there was misery for Yasser Iqbal, who has been forced to withdraw from the championships because of a broken nose that will keep him out of action for five weeks.

The two local victors will fight in the North East a week on Saturday, hoping to progress to the semi-finals in Bolton. The finals are expected to be held in Barnsley on the weekend of March 7.