By Gary Anderson

Kristy Harris left is one of three women who will represent Australia in the boxing ring at this years Commonwealth GamesAustralia has named the 11 boxers that will compete at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, with a squad made up of all national champions, including Kristy Harris, Shelley Watts and Kaye Scott.

All three will represent Australia for the first time at a major multi-sport event as women's boxing makes its Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow.

Harris will compete in the flyweight category, Scott in the middleweight while Watts, voted female boxer of the tournament at the Australian Championships last month, will line-up in the lightweight division.

All three were crowned national champions in Perth last month and will follow in the footsteps of Naomi-Lee Fischer-Rasmussen, Australia's sole female representative at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"We welcome the inclusion of women for the first time into a sport with a long tradition at the Commonwealth Games," said Perry Crosswhite, chief executive of the Australian Commonwealth Games Association.

Those three will be joined by eight male boxers, as Australia looks to banish the memory of four years ago in New Delhi when none of its boxers managed a medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Big things will be expected of London 2012 boxer Jai Opetaia, who announced himself on the international stage two years ago by almost defeating eventual Olympic bronze medal winner Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan.

Opetaia, 18, will compete in the heavyweight division while Joseph Goodall will be fighting at super heavyweight.

Light heavyweight Jordan Samardali, who picked up the male boxer of the tournament on his way to the national title in Perth, will be joined by welterweight Daniel Lewis and lightweight Nick Cooney.

Lewis won gold at the 2011 Youth Commonwealth Games in the Isle of Man.

Mark Lucas will box at welterweight with flyweight Andrew Moloney returning to the ring having competed at Delhi 2010.

Bantamweight Jackson Woods completes the line-up.

Jai Opetaia (left) will be expected to be a medal contender for Australia during the boxing competition in Glasgow this summer ©Getty Images Jai Opetaia (left) will be expected to be a medal contender for Australia during the boxing competition in Glasgow this summer ©Getty Images



"Boxing has been contested at every Empire and Commonwealth Games since the first in 1930," said Crosswhite.

"We hope for success in Glasgow.

"Australia's boxers have always made a strong contribution to our medal tally."

The Australian squad will be under the guidance of new Boxing Australia head coach Kevin Smith from England, who was in charge of the Nigerian team at London 2012.

Despite drawing a blank in Delhi, Australian boxers have won 59 Commonwealth Games medals including 13 golds.

At Melbourne 2006, Australia won 12 boxing medals including gold for Jarrod Fletcher and Bradley Michael Pitt.

The boxing competition at Glasgow 2014, which is due to take place from July 23 to August 3, will see 10 men's weight categories and three women's contested at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre with the finals taking place at the SSE Hydro.

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