A COACH with Valleyfield Miners Amateur Boxing Club has tipped one of their rising stars for the Commonwealth Games as the other bids for national glory.

At the weekend, Ryan Hanley packed a punch at the Boxing Scotland Schools and Juniors Championships when he took on Midlothian’s Adam Gately to win the 2005 54kg final.

The 16-year-old won the 46kg junior 2005 category in February 2020, when Niamh Mitchell, 15, claimed the schoolgirl 2006 44.5kg title.

Although she could not be matched with an opponent this time around for the event, which is taking place at Motherwell’s Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, she has been tipped for the top by club coach James White after a superb performance south of the border.

Last Friday, she travelled to Hartlepool to take part in a club show and, going up against opponent Mary Kibbler, who boasted a greater number of bouts to her name, Niamh claimed victory in the second round.

She is also set to compete in an MTK Box Cup event next month and, speaking to Press Sport, White believes that she should have pulling on the gloves for Scotland at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in her sights.

“She’s a prospect and a half and she just keeps getting better,” he enthused.

“She was really good. It was a competitive first round; she got a couple of warnings just for being a wee bit overly-aggressive, but I’d rather she was that way than be too timid and like a rabbit caught in headlights.

“As soon as she started finding her range, it was inevitable what was coming. In the second round, she got off to a better start, was the cleaner boxer, and the other side just threw the towel in halfway through the second round.

“It was a good performance. She did really well. It’s just disappointing that she’s not got an opponent at the Scottish; there’s nobody at her weight. But we’ve got her in the MTK Box Cup in Cumbria, on October 2-24.

“She’s got to be looking towards the Commonwealth Games. After the turn of the year, that’s when she’s eligible, age-wise, to get into the development squads with Boxing Scotland.

“As soon as the turn of the year comes, she’ll be in the mix there as well. That’s where she’ll be looking towards Commonwealth Games and European Championships, all that type of stuff.”

White, who revealed that GB senior champion, Stephanie Kernaghan (pictured with Niamh above), and GB junior champion, Brooke Neely, have been sparring with Niamh to help her development, added: “She’s got another four, five years of development through the juniors, into the youths and then into the seniors.

“If you wanted somebody to box, that’s the last person you want!”