Wales’ teenage boxing sensation Sammy Lee is one win away from bagging a Commonwealth medal on his Games debut at the Gold Coast.
A gold medallist at the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas last July, the Swansea fighter is looking to step up in class Down Under and has been drawn straight through to the quarter-finals in the -81kg category.
It means he will have to wait until Wednesday, 11 April, for his opening bout – the last appearance at the Games of the seven strong Welsh team. But it also means he is only one win away from a guaranteed bronze medal with a semi-final spot.
The 19-year-old Lee, the youngest member of the Wales programme, burst onto the scene in 2015 with a dazzling display at the Welsh Championships before going on to win the British title. His skill and success have earned him a spot inside the world’s top five youth rankings.
North Walian Billy Edwards will have the honour of being the first Welsh boxer in the ring when he fights Antigua’s Alston Ryan in the -64kg round of 32 on Thursday. Next up is Kyran Jones, who fights Northern Ireland’s Steve Donnelly in the -75kg weight category on Friday in another round of 32 contest, or three wins from a medal fight in the semis.
Rosie Eccles is the first Welsh woman in the ring, also on Friday, in the -69kg group. She meets the Cameroon fighter Aubiege Azangue with the winner scheduled to meet Tonga’s Magan Maka in the quarter-finals on Sunday.
Lynsey Holdaway is one win away from a guaranteed medal. She boxes Northern Ireland’s Kristina O’Hara on Sunday in a quarter-final bout in the -48kg category, where only eight fighters have been entered.
Michael McDonagh gets into action on Monday with a clash against Leostho’s Qhobosheane Mohlerepe. That is for a place in the quarter-finals at -60kg.
Lauren Price, a bronze medallist four years ago in Glasgow, will only need to beat Rady Gramane of Mozambique to guarantee another medal in the -75kg group. The winner will go straight through to the semi-finals on 13 April, with Price’s main threat for gold probably coming from England’s Natasha Gale, who fights Australia’s Caitlin Parker in her quarter-final.