Dalby boxers Dalby boxers Judd Alderton and Joshua ‘JJ’ Hassan set for Australian Schools Boxing Championships in Perth

Two Dalby boxers are set to compete in some of the biggest bouts of their fledgling pugilist careers when they step into the ring for the Australian Schools Boxing Championships this week in Perth. Find out more here.

Joshua ‘JJ’ Hassan and Judd Alderton are gearing up for the biggest fight of the year at the Australian Schools Boxing Championships.

Two Dalby Boxers are gearing up for the biggest fights of the year at the Australian Schools Boxing Championships this week.

Judd Alderton and Joshua ‘JJ’ Hassan will make the trip west to Perth this Tuesday looking to bring home the gold at the national competition.

For Hassan this will be his first time competing at the prestigious event while Alderton will compete as a returning champion looking to retain his crown.

“In Australia it is the biggest fight of the year, a lot can progress from winning there, there are heaps of selectors who could pick us for fights overseas,” Alderton said.

“I feel solid, I’m confident and happy with how I’m feeling, I’m feeling really fit. I’m going to go in there and try my best, you don’t want to get out of there and not be happy with yourself.”

Dalby boxers including Judd Alderton (left) and Joshua Hassan (right) won belts at a recent Sunshine Coast competition.

Hassan agreed and said he was “prepared and expecting to win”.

“I’ll go out there and try my best,” he said.

“My game plan is to stay on the outside, I’ve got long arms and I’ve got a lot of speed and in amateurs you’re not trying to knock them out because you have big gloves on so its about speed, agility and technique.

“It would mean everything to me to win this, it's what I’ve been training for all these years for, it's the highest pinnacle, the top of the mountain and I want to keep soaring up and see how far I can go.”

The duo said they had been putting in the work and were expecting it to pay off.

“We are training everyday, runs in the morning, runs with the club in the afternoon and then the boxing sessions in the afternoon, then we have sparring every weekend,” Hassan said.

“It's up to yourself to be disciplined,” Alderton added.

Alongside their hard work at training the boxers credited their success with their activity both having had eight fights already this year.

“We’ve both had around eight fights this year competing in lots of tournaments,” Hassan said.

“When you’re aiming for something and being active it keeps your mental health good and if you’re not aiming for something then what are you doing sitting, I’d be sitting at home playing video games.”

Alderton said regularly competing also helped with the pre-fight nerves.

“Staying active is important for ring preparations and you get used to the feeling every time you fight. It also helps you build a system for your fights.”

Coach Andrew Alderton praised the boy’s hard work and said he was confident heading into the fights.

“I’m just proud of them, they've put in a good effort and I can't ask them for anymore as long as we go there prepared and take it there on the day we should come home with the wins',” he said

“These boys know what they need to do, they’ve got to get in there adjust, adapt to their opponent and then take them out.”

Originally published as Dalby boxers Dalby boxers Judd Alderton and Joshua ‘JJ’ Hassan set for Australian Schools Boxing Championships in Perth