Eamon O'Kane has won a hat-trick of Ulster boxing titles

O'Kane, from the St Canice's club in Dungiven, is a hot tip to be one of the seven boxers Northern Ireland will send to Melbourne in March.

"Hopefully, I will be there. It should be brilliant," said the 23-year-old who has just completed his Masters degree in computing.

"I have not been to the Games before but have won silver at two Commonwealth Championships.

"I will be aiming to return from Australia with a medal, that is what everyone wants to do."

O'Kane, who fits his training around working for the family business, will be favourite to retain his Smithwick's Ulster Amateur title on finals night at the Ulster Hall on 1 December.

The team for the Commonwealth Games will be announced the following day.

"The Games are an extra incentive this year. The standard of boxing in the north is high and it is going to be difficult to win at the championships for a fourth year in a row.

"I am out training before going to work - running, shadow boxing and circuit work.

"Then when I come back from work I am working on my boxing skills.

"It is tough but I cannot afford to take it easy. All the other teams going to the Commonwealth Games will be doing this training."

Eleven Ulster Senior Amateur titles will be decided on finals night, as boxers aim to emulate Barry McGuigan who fought at the Championships as a raw teenager before going on to be a world champion.

Preliminaries will be held at the Dockers' Club in Belfast on 22 and 23 November, with the semi-finals at the same venue on 25 November.