Byron Boxing Club ring star Fawaz Aborode is gunning for gold medal glory at the prestigious AIBA World Boxing Championships in Serbia.
The 19-year-old is one of seven fighters competing for Scotland in Belgrade in the biggest boxing event outside the Olympics.
Aborode secured a spot at the world championships following a rigorous selection process, which included time at the Team GB training camp in Sheffield.
The highly-rated teen is gunning for gold at a tournament, where 650 competitors from 105 nations will compete.
Aborode’s ultimate aim is to box for Team GB at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Boxing at 57kg, Aborode received a bye in the first round and will begin his bid for gold medal glory on Thursday, when facing the winner of a bout between boxers from Trinidad and Tobago and Mauritius.
Aborode said: “I’m going to go for gold at the world championships.
“I feel in great shape and am really looking forward to it.
“This is a huge tournament and second biggest behind the Olympics.
“Hopefully I can go on to the Olympics in Paris.”
Scotland squad High Performance Centre
In the bid to reach the top, Aborode trains with the Scotland squad at the High Performance Centre for two days each week in Glasgow.
He balances this with training at Byron, the club he first joined five years ago.
The Scotland team competing at the world championships are Aborode, Lennon Mulligan (51kg, Rob Roy), Matthew McHale (54kg, Lochend), Reese Lynch (63.5kg, Rob Roy), Tyler Jolly (67kg, Bravehearts), Stephen Newns (71kg, Cleland) and Sam Hickey (75kg, Lochee).
Roy Jones Jnr and film star Mark Wahlberg
The tournament officially opened in the Serbian capital of Belgrade on Sunday night in a glittering ceremony which included boxing legend Roy Jones Jr, a four-weight world champion, making a speech from onstage to the boxers.
Moments 🔥 of the open ceremony of AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships🥊#AIBAWCHS2021 #boxing pic.twitter.com/H5wcMu2LiY
— AIBA (@AIBA_Boxing) October 25, 2021
Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg sent a message of support for the World Championships in a video played during the final moments of the opening ceremony.
Aborode said: “Training in Sheffield recently was a fantastic experience and I had some great sparring.
“I’m representing Scotland at the world championships and hopefully in a few years I can also go on to make Team GB.”
Open ceremony of AIBA Men’s World Boxing Championships in Belgrade 🇷🇸 pic.twitter.com/Xt3hg0KwRS
— AIBA (@AIBA_Boxing) October 24, 2021