Can Weaver, Yafai and Stalker be crowned Commonwealth champions?

European silver medallists Khalid Yafai, Iain Weaver and Tom Stalker have been included in England's 10-man Commonwealth Games boxing team.

The trio will look for more medals in Delhi after their haul at the European Championships in Moscow in June.

Callum Smith, 20, will have a chance to emulate brothers Paul and Stephen who each medalled at the last two Games.

Light-welterweight Bradley Saunders, also chosen for India, fought at the 2008 Olympics, as did flyweight Yafai.

There will be high hopes for English success at the Commonwealth Games, which take place 3-14 October, not only because of their efforts at the recent Europeans but also having Rob McCracken at the helm.

606: DEBATE How do you rate England's chances at the Commonwealth Games?

McCracken took on the role of Great Britain head coach last year following the departure of first Terry Edwards and then Kevin Hickey and saw his GB boxers secure three silvers and two bronzes in Moscow, their best showing since 1961.

The former middleweight is hopeful of seeing his fighters continue their development on the world stage as an Olympics on home soil looms.

"This is an important part of our preparations for London 2012," McCracken said.

"I am looking for the team to build on the success we had at the recent European Championships and continue the tradition of our boxers doing well at the Commonwealth Games."

Birmingham's Yafai is a rising star, with the 21-year-old unlucky to miss out on gold in Russia in a keenly-contested final against local fighter Misha Aloyan.

Bournemouth's 20-year-old Weaver, a featherweight, was another beaten finalist in Moscow, losing 7-2 to German Denis Makarov, while Liverpool's Stalker, 25, battled bravely before losing out to Russia's former world and European champion Albert Selimov.

Tommy Stubbs (light-flyweight), Yafai, Saunders and Weaver are all former Commonwealth Youth Games medallists, with Anthony Ogogo (middleweight) a gold medal winner at the 2004 Youth Olympics.

England's boxers have a good track record at recent Commonwealth Games, topping the medal table in Melbourne in 2006 and finishing runners-up to Australia, despite accumulating the most medals overall, in Manchester in 2002.

England returned from Melbourne with a fine haul of five gold medals, one silver and two bronzes - winning medals in eight out of the 11 weight divisions.

England top the all-time medal table having won 106 medals, including 47 golds - almost twice as many golds as Canada, in second place, with 24.

E-mail this to a friend

Printable version