Come out and support the stars of the future!

The Co. Derry Boxing Championships, seen as a stepping stone for young and upcoming boxers in the city and beyond, will take place this Sunday at Oakleaf ABC.

All 16 clubs in the Co. Derry jurisdiction are expected to be involved this weekend for what has always been a popular and highly-anticipated event.

With the Ulster 9 County Championships on the horizon, this weekend's event will provide both experience and confidence to those hoping to build their own stories in the ring, with the competition catering from novices upwards. As well as awards for best boxers and best finalists, there will also be underage skill bouts for 9 and 10 year olds, giving the boxers and their families and friends something to look forward to.

"We're expecting a big number of up and coming boxers," Oakleaf's Eugene O'Kane said. "The Championships, which many people know as the D&Ds, have always been the place for these young boxers to make their first outing in the ring and I'm sure a lot of clubs will have first timers making their debuts up in the Championships this weekend.

"There will be some established names there obviously, but this is more for up and comers making their ring debuts. The draw will take place in the next day or two and that will add to the excitement ahead of the event"

It has been a memorable few weeks for Oakleaf ABC with two of their brightest talents, Jack Harkin and Carleigh Irving, winning titles at the Ulster Elite Boxing Championships in Belfast

Carleigh lifted the 48kg title while Jack was.crowned the 54kg Ulster champion on a memorable evening at the packed Girdwood Community Hub.

Carleigh, who has been improving year on year at Oakleaf, defeated Chole Fleck Canel BC 5-0 with a sensational performance and in doing so became the first female boxer to bring an Elite title back to the city. The confidence and belief shown by Carleigh on such a stage will only add to her reputation with much more sure to come from this talent in the near future.

Harkin meanwhile, really impressed on his debut at Elite level and he was involved in a fascinating contest with Churchland Golden Gloves' Matty Borland, coming out on top after a real battle. The determination and strength and refusal to lose were just a few of the many attributes that Jack has in abundance and it will be interesting to see just what is next for this special 18-year-old talent.

It was a very special night, not just for the fighters themselves, but for their families and friends and Oakleaf ABC itself.

Jack Harkin was.crowned the 54kg Ulster champion.

"Jack and Carla Irvine will be taking a break from these Championships and It's a well-earned break after great achievements last week," O'Kane explained.

"They were both international U18s last year. Jack represented Ireland in the world championships in Spain but lost 3-2 to a boxer from the Dominican Republic. Carleigh went out to the multi-nations in Italy and won three of her four fights out there.

"The two of them have plenty of experience but they both had to train over Christmas, so fair play to them,. When everyone else was taking their turkey dinners, they were watching their weight and were out training. It's great dedication and they have both just turned 18 so they would have been amongst the youngest performers in Belfast.

Carleigh Irving lifted the 48kg Elite Ulster title recently.

"Carleigh and Jack now move into the Ulster High Performance Training Centre at Jordanstown and hopefully it's just the start for them."

The Co. Derry Boxing Championships will take place this Sunday at Oakleaf ABC, based at Rath Mor Business Park. The action will begin at 11am and admission proces are £4 and £2.