Boxing: Langley twins book date with Cubans

Last night, at the Olympia in Liverpool, the Langley twins from Croydon booked their place in the British Isles line-up for the first international against Cuba, which will take place on 8 April.

Last night, at the Olympia in Liverpool, the Langley twins from Croydon booked their place in the British Isles line-up for the first international against Cuba, which will take place on 8 April.

At light-flyweight, Darran won the Four Nations title with a slick display of confident boxing against the Irish champion Conor Ahern.

Darran's brother, Stewart, had to survive a disastrous last round, which saw him drop for a short count from an even shorter right cross, before beating the Welshman Matthew Edmonds to win the flyweight title. Just seven nights ago, the pair pulled off a unique family double when they became the first twins to win Amateur Boxing Association titles.

It is not known yet who exactly will be travelling to the UK with the Cuban team but ABA director, Paul King, has received a missive from Havana suggesting that the world's strongest boxing nation has decided to send their best team.

"There was a time when boxers from the British Isles were possibly considered easy touches but a lot has changed over the last few years and the Cubans have made it clear to me that they are not coming here to lose," said King.

Perhaps of most interest when the first of two internationals against the Cubans takes place on 8 April will be the intriguing encounter at lightweight between double Olympic champion Mario Kindelan and Birmingham teenager Frankie Gavin.

Gavin, who is just 18, outpointed Welshman Peter Ashton to win last night's lightweight title and is ready and willing to meet Kindelan. Last year, Gavin was Amir Khan's chief sparring partner in the two-month intensive training period before the Athens Olympics where Khan lost in the lightweight final to the magical Cuban.

"It will be an honour to meet Kindelan and I've studied him and had a word with Amir and I will not be worried when I get into ring," claimed Gavin.

The second of the two internationals takes place on 15 April at Dublin's National Boxing Stadium with the main attraction Andy Lee, the Irish middleweight who beat Scotland's Craig McEwan last night.