Eastburn Amateur Boxing Club coach Naz Jalil has paid tribute to two of his members after they narrowly missed out on national titles.

Ambreen Sadiq, from Keighley, and Victoria Waddington, from Silsden, reached the finals of their class in the Amateur Boxing Association of England Female Championships at Brentwood Youth ABC in Essex.

And despite both of them being beaten by unanimous points verdicts last weekend, Jalil was delighted with their efforts.

He said: “I am pleased and proud of their performances. I couldn’t have asked either of them to have done anything different.

“They were both excellent bouts and, at the end of the day, to reach the final of a national championship is a really good achievement and there is always next year.”

Waddington was pipped to the crown by southpaw opponent Emmily Energie (Peacocks) in the senior class B (over ten bouts) 51kg category. The four-round contest could have gone either way, with Waddington producing some big shots in the second but Energie just edging it.

Sadiq (pictured) was up against Deborah Tyrell (Hooks ABC) in the senior class B (six to ten bouts) 54kg class.

Jalil said: “Ambreen’s opponent was a very strategic, cagey boxer, who had only ever lost one fight, so we knew we had everything up against us.

“The best person won it but Ambreen did very well.”