IRISH eyes were smiling for one Bradford amateur club after they bossed a prestige boxing tournament in Dublin.

Platinum Boxing Academy collected five gold medals and one silver from the Monkstown Box Cup, one of the biggest amateur events in Europe.

The Idle-based club had just enjoyed a successful performance at the Hull Box Cup the previous weekend and carried that rich vein of form across the Irish Sea.

Callum Grace, Jake Leeming and Patrick Lee followed up their Hull victories by coming through three bouts each to claim gold again in Ireland.

And they were joined on the winners’ podium by Lenny Davidson and Michael Brooke, with Asama Kaleen – who had been too old to take part in Hull – claiming a silver.

Coaches Kevin Rourke, Dave Nelson and Stefan Thomas were delighted with the team’s performance – but not surprised.

Rourke said: “Hard work pays off and we know how much they put in. Hull was a stepping stone to push forward to Ireland and they boxed brilliantly.

“It’s one of the biggest competitions in Europe and there were clubs from all over. There were 980 boxers there.

“We took three over last year and Patrick got a gold but this time we absolutely smashed it. They were buzzing afterwards and nobody slept at all that night.”

With Platinum’s season ending on a high note, they will be focussing next on the national schoolboy championships in October.

But Rourke hopes their success will help in attracting a sponsor to finance events.

He said: “That’s why we want to enter a few more box cups. Now we’ve got these gold medals to prove we are a good little gym.”