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Boxing stars from across Europe are heading for Liverpool to land the prize as European Champion at the final championships of the year to be supported by UK Sport's £3.3 million per annum Lottery funded World Class Events Programme.

The 2008 European Capital of Culture is set to stage the European Senior Boxing Championships from November 6-15 - the first major post-Beijing Olympics tournament.

Clare Hartley, UK Sport’s Events Consultant, said:

“This is the first time that the UK has staged the European Senior Boxing Championships and it will be the largest sporting event in Liverpool this year, with over 200 athletes from 40 countries competing to be crowned champion over ten days of competition. We are delighted to be investing up to £201,000 of National Lottery funds in this event through our World Class Events Programme which works to being strategically important sporting competitions to the UK.”

Flying the flag for England include two north west fighters - Olympian Joe Murray, 21, from Manchester and Merseyside Lightweight Tom Stalker, 23, who won Gold at the Commonwealth Championships in Liverpool last year.

The tournament finals will be held at the ECHO Arena Liverpool - the venue's first international sporting event, which could also draw the biggest boxing crowd in the city's history.

Frank Doherty, Tournament Director at Liverpool City Council's Sports Development Team, said: "To stage these championships is a huge honour one which we will take great pride in delivering. I'm sure the Liverpool crowds will help make it an unforgettable sporting occassion and hopefully our boxers will taste glory and put the icing on the cake."

The 2008 European Boxing Championships will be staged by the Amateur Boxing Association of England, in partnership with Liverpool City Council and the European Amateur Boxing Association, supported by UK Sport and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

(Source: UK SPORT)