A PRODIGIOUS Alloa boxer is calling on more young girls to take up the sport as she continues to deliver winning combinations in the ring.

Billie "Braveheart" Baillie is already beginning to carve a name for herself in the UK circuit, having claimed some hard-fought wins down south.

The 33kg youngster travels from Larbert to receive training and guidance from coach John Whyte at Alloa Boxing Club, and she hopes to go pro one day.

However, the 12-year-old currently finds it difficult to find opponents, and often has to to travel south of the border for a challenge.

Nevertheless, her mum Kerrie is delighted to see her daughter perform well, while praising the many added benefits of the sport out of the ring.

Kerrie, a fitness instructor herself, said: “It’s definitely helped mould her into being responsible at a young age and I’d say a great thing to get them into.

“There’s lots of days when they [young boxers] could be going to sparring days and stuff like that, that helps them being away from their parents, gets responsibility levels up and helps them to communicate well with other adults.”

Billie first got into boxing at the age of just 8 as she looked to get even more active.

She has found the sport helps relieve the stress at the end of a bad day and she has become a much more confident person.

And while it is a busy schedule, having to think about travel for practice while still completing homework has helped improve her time-management skills.

Kerrie added: “I see a big change in her personally; it’s made her focus better at school; it’s made her more determined; it teaches them a lot of good life skills as well, that things don’t come easy.

“It’s pretty much the same in school as it is in the boxing ring: you put the work in, you get the benefit back.

“It teaches them that there’s not really anyone else that can do it for you.

"When you are in that ring, you are a bit of a lone ranger, but with good support behind her.”

She thanked coaches John, Kelly Whyte, Kelly Whalen and Stevie Bernard, whose efforts have been “second to none”.

Indeed, John was desperate to find an opponent for the youngster and recently, she got to enjoy success, having made the long journey to Sunderland for a local home show there.

Kerrie said: “The wee girl [the opponent] was pretty impressive.

“She was good at coming forward, applying lots of pressure, made her think on the spot, showed good movement and it was in a small ring as well.”

Billie knew she could not put herself into a corner regardless and kept up her own punch combinations at ferocious pace.

The end result was clear, as Billie's hand was raised following a unanimous decision from the judges.

It was another long drive two weeks before that, hats off to coach John for his commitment in taking a single fighter south, to the coastal town of Bridlington.

Billie, who has earned the affectionate name Braveheart at the club, was up against a youngster on a 1-1 record and once again, the judges all agreed she had the upper hand.

The youngster reckons it came down to her landing a tight uppercut in the second round, putting her opponent on the backfoot.

In the meantime, Billie will continue to seek new opportunities to impress while hone her skills at Alloa Boxing Club.