Two teenage boxers from Wealdstone aim to have their opponents on the ropes this Saturday as they bid to book their place in the last four of the Royal Navy Schools Championships.

Charlie Hudson, 13, and 15-year-old Jez Smith are both representing the Home Counties against the Eastern Counties in the quarter finals of the competition, held at Blackshot Civic Hall in Essex.

Hudson, of Byron Road, has recently joined Bushey Boxing Club after two years with Harrow ABC and faces Tom Barley in the Class 2 42-44kg category.

Hudson eased into the last eight last weekend with an emphatic three round points victory over London schoolboy champion, Zack Mackenzie.

Smith, meanwhile, takes on Mark Samuel in the Class 3 38-40kg category. The Hatch End High School pupil, of Sefton Avenue, will hope to go one better this year after he was defeated in the final last time out.

There is a big carrot for becoming national champions in their age range [2014] representing England at the Four Nations event in the summer.

* Harlesden's Olympic boxing champion, James DeGale, will be fighting fit for his professional debut later this month - and so will health conscious members of the public he is working with.

The Olympic gold medallist will have his first fight under promoter Frank Warren on February 28, at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham.

He's been training hard under taskmaster Jim McDonnell, ensuring that he is in the best shape possible for his big night.

And now DeGale is poised to pass on some of McDonnell's secrets after signing up for The Feelgood Factor for ITV, a major new initiative to encourage the nation to get fit and lose weight.

The high-profile campaign will see three groups of viewers with bad eating habits and poor exercise regimes attempt to get fitter with celebrity mentors.

DeGale will take training sessions with one of the groups, and is delighted to be involved.

"Healthy living is really important and it will be great to pass on a few tips," said DeGale, who turned 23 on Tuesday. "And I'll be able to sympathise because when I was I kid I was called 'Chunky' because I was a bit overweight.

"But although I'll push my group hard, I won't be as tough with them as Jim

McDonnell is with me - it wouldn't be fair. I don't think I've ever worked as much as I have done in the last few weeks, and Jimmy is leaving no stone unturned to get me in the best possible shape for my debut."

"Things have been going fantastic in the gym and I could have my first pro fight tomorrow. I feel so good," he added. "I can't wait to find out who I will be fighting and get my career started with a bang."