Ricky Hatton sends good luck message to Brandon Boxing Club ahead of international fight

• Watch Julia Barthram's report.

Thirteen young boxers from County Durham are setting off on the trip of a lifetime to compete against some of the best in the sport from around the world.

Brandon Boxing Club is taking a team to Canada for the Brampton Box Cup. Five hundred fighters will take part in the international competition.

The club has raised £30,000 to fund the trip for 13 amateur boxers and one professional. They have held bag packs in supermarkets, sponsored walks and mountain climbs to fund the trip.

"It's not a holiday," coach Alex Oliver told ITV Tyne Tees. "They'll be training every day, on a morning we'll get up, do our runs in sub zero temperatures and then they'll train. They'll have to maintain their weight."

The Brampton Cup is a knock out competition which will see the boxers fight in their age and weight category.

"They're not there to make up numbers," he added, "they're there to win medals, hopefully gold."

Word of their trip has spread in the boxing community and the young boxers received a surprise message from Ricky Hatton.

The former light-welterweight world champion said: "I just want to wish good luck to the Brandon Boxing Club as they go fighting in Canada. All the best boys."

• Ricky Hatton sends a good luck message for Brandon Boxing Club's Canada trip

The fighters travelling to Canada range from six to 28 years old. For some of the youngsters it will be their first trip abroad.

Sixteen-year- old Nadeem Harbaia said: "This is a once in a lifetime trip, going out there for 10 days, spending extra time to go and see Niagara Falls and Hockey matches. If it wasn't for everyone who donated it wouldn't have been possible, so thank you."

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