A TORFAEN boxing club in danger of closing has been given a new gym - just before their tenth anniversary.

In the ten years since head coach Simon Wat-kins founded Torfaen Warriors Amateur Boxing Club, they have trained two Gaelic Games gold medal winners, British flyweight champion Matthew Edmonds, British finalist Ryan Power and more than 30 Welsh title winners.

The club has had no permanent home for two years, and hiring space in a local health club was becoming too expensive.

But when ex-boxer John Watkins, owner of The King's Head, Pontnew-ydd, heard about their plight he offered them a room at his pub free of charge.

After two weeks of work to convert the place, club members are hitting the punchbags once again.

Simon Weaver, the Warrioers' head coach, said: "I started the club 10 years ago and it'll be our anniversary in August, but we were in real danger of having to close our doors.

"There was no way we could continue like we were. A boxing club needs to have a permanent home to be successful and grow.

"John is an ex-boxer from Pontypool who fought at the same time I did, and he gave us the room free of charge.

"We've had to do some work to change it into a gym but all the boys from the gym joined in and we did it together.

"Thanks to John we've got a top place to re-establish ourselves. Boys, girls, men and women are all welcome to train with us and get fit with the added bonus of learning self-defence through boxing.

"This season we've had two boxers appear in the Welsh schoolboy championships so that's quite an achievement considering our recent situation."

Mr Watkins said: "I've known Simon for years. I wanted to help because myself and my brother boxed for quite a few years, and I know there's nowhere around Cwmbran for the youngsters to go.

"Boxing keeps them off the streets and it gives them discipline."