ASHLEY Wilkins is through to the last eight of the school boy ABA championships after triumphing in London last weekend.

The 14-year-old, from Chirton, earned a majority decision over Earlsfield ABC’s Taylor Ayling in Feltham last weekend in the pre-quarter finals of the U50kg weight category.

And Wilkins, who trains at Devizes Boxing Club, is set to return to the capital this weekend as he goes toe-to-toe with Kent youngster Tommy Smith for a place in the final four of the national competition.

“He was absolutely fantastic last weekend,” said dad Paul Wilkins, who is chairman of the Devizes club and will be in his son’s corner in Grove Park.

“Ashley was fantastic in the first two rounds and the other kid came back at him in the third but he’d done enough to win – he’s looking like a champion and he had a lot of praise from the other coaches there.

“It’s a fantastic achievement so far and when we sat down the other day to have a chat about it he said ‘dad, I want to get to the final’.

“He’s the lad who’s fighting so he’s going to get all the praise but it’s really a victory for the whole club too.

“He had his brother Liam in his corner and a minibus of people that came to watch him, which I could have filled that two or three times over.

“He’s living the dream.”