By Gary Anderson at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield

The 11 members of the Team England boxing squad were unveiled in Sheffield today ©World Wide ImagesOlympic champion Nicola Adams will be aiming for more gold medal glory at Glasgow 2014 after she was named here today as part of an 11-strong Team England squad for the Commonwealth Games.

The 31-year-old from Leeds created history at London 2012 by becoming the first woman in history to secure an Olympic boxing gold when the sport made its Games debut.

She will be aiming to add to her collection next month as the sport makes its first appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

"Ever since it was announced that women's boxing was going to be part of the Commonwealth Games I have been really looking forward to this event," said Adams.

She will be determined to get back on track after Bulgaria's Stoyka Petrova inflicted her first defeat in more than two years at the quarter-final stage of the European Championships in Bucharest earlier this month.

"The Commonwealth's is the only major tournament that I have left to win a medal at so I am really determined to do well and give myself the best possible chance of making history for a second time," said Adams. 

Adams is joined by 2012 world champion Savannah Marshall and Liverpool's Natasha Jonas as the three women in the squad.

Nicola Adams will lead the Team England medal charge in the boxing ring at Glasgow 2014 ©ITGNicola Adams will lead the Team England medal charge in the boxing ring at Glasgow 2014 ©ITG



Jonas, winner of a World Championship bronze at Qinhuangdao, China, in 2012, securing her an historic place at London 2012 claimed she cannot wait to get the gloves on in Glasgow.

She hopes the atmosphere at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and the SSE Hydro next month will go some way to matching the support she received at the ExCel Arena during the Olympics.

"I'm over the moon to be selected and to actually get to Glasgow will be amazing," Jonas told insidethegames.

"I know they are really into their boxing up there so I expect there to be a lot of support and a lot people watching who appreciate the art of boxing.

"In London, Katie Taylor [Olympic champion from Ireland)] and I got the loudest cheers out of anything during the Games so something like that just boosts your performance and makes you want to perform even more.

"I hope it will be the same in Scotland and I am really looking forward to it."

Natasha Jonas is relishing the opportunity to box in front of boxing fans in Glasgow where she hopes the atmosphere will be similar to that at London 2012 ©Getty Images Natasha Jonas is relishing the opportunity to box in front of boxing fans in Glasgow where she hopes the atmosphere will be similar to that at London 2012 ©Getty Images



Jonas lost out to eventual champion Taylor at the quarter-final stage at London 2012 but has continued to impress and earlier this month secured a European silver medal in Bucharest after narrowly losing to Russian Anastasia Beliakova.

"I have got a lot of confidence from my performances in Bucharest," said the 30-year-old.

"But no bout is ever easy and you have always got to work hard at your boxing and make sure you can perform on the day and I am really confident I can do that."

Jonas believes that her biggest challenge is likely to come from India's L Sarita Devi in the 60 kilogram category.

"We had a brilliant bout in the World Championships and I was the one that got the decision and that led to me qualifying for the Olympic Games but she is a good fighter and will be tough," added Jonas.

"I think the Olympics has set the standard for everyone and people are appreciating how good women's boxing is.

"We are getting rid of a lot of the stereotypes about the athletes themselves and about the sport, and it's catapulted ever since.

"Two years on it will be brilliant to get up there again and show what we are all about."

That is a sentiment shared by coach Dave Alloway, part of the Team England boxing set-up for Glasgow 2014, along with Lee Pullen and Paul Walmsley.

"I think they [women] deserve to be going to the Commonwealth Games," said Alloway.

"If people watched the Olympic Games then they would have seen that they performed really well.

"The crowd liked it and there were some good contests going on so they deserve to be going to multisport tournaments now because they have earned the right.

"The women have a proven track record now and this is the first time in the Commonwealth Games and I think people will be pleasantly surprised by how high the standard is and women's boxing is moving onwards and upwards."

The Team England boxing squad will be aiming to better the five medals won last time out in Delhi ©ITGThe Team England boxing squad will be aiming to better the five medals won last time out in Delhi ©ITG



England finished third on the boxing medal table at Delhi 2010, claiming two gold medals thanks Tom Stalker and Simon Vallily.

Bradley Saunders, Callum Smith and Anthony Ogogo all took silver.

None of the medallists from four years ago will be appearing in Glasgow, although the squad contains athletes who have medalled at international level before.

World Championship bronze medal winner Antony Fowler will box at 75kg with European bronze medallists Charlie Edwards at 52kg and Joe Joyce at over 91kg also set to take to the ring in Glasgow.

They will be joined by Qais Ashfaq at 56kg, Pat McCormack at 60kg, Warren Baister at 91kg, Scott Fitzgerald at 69kg and Sam Maxwell who is aiming for gold in the 64kg category.

The Liverpool fighter told insidethegames that he has no other thoughts than claiming a gold medal in Glasgow.

"Winning gold is definitely my aim and my main goal," said Maxwell, who identified Team GB teammate, Scotland's Josh Taylor as his main obstacle.

"I really think I am capable of achieving it if I perform to my level and I know I am capable.

"Josh Taylor is a top boxer and will be a massive threat particularly as he will be performing in front of his home crowd in Scotland.

"But I am really looking forward to getting up there and this is what I love doing.

"I have put in all the hard work so all I want to do now is go and get that gold medal."

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