Birmingham 2022: England team for Commonwealth Games announced

Team England has named a 14-strong squad for the home Commonwealth Games of Birmingham 2022, which start later this month.

Six women and eight men have been selected to pull on the Three Lions vest in what is the biggest multi-sports event to be held in England since the London 2012 Olympics.

Each of the talented squad have been chosen from the GB Boxing programme and all have won or been a finalist at either the England Boxing National Amateur Championships (former Elite Championships and ABAs) or England Boxing National Youth Championships.

They will be bidding to match an excellent performance at the last Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast 2018, where the team picked up six golds, one silver and two bronze medals to top the boxing medals table.

The six women selected are Demie-Jade Resztan (Under 48kg, New Astley), Savannah Stubley (Under 50kg, Empire School of Boxing, pictured below), Sameenah Toussaint (Under 57kg, New King’s), Gemma Richardson (Under 60kg, Scunthorpe), Jodie Wilkinson (Under 70kg, Tigers) and Kerry Davis (Under 75kg, Jewellery Quarter).

Kiaran MacDonald (Under 51kg, Sunderland), Niall Farrell (Under 57kg (Kingstanding 2nd City), Joe Tyers (Under 63.5kg, Billingham), Harris Akbar (Under 71kg, Bradford Police), Lewis Richardson (Under 75kg, Chadwell St Mary), Aaron Bowen (Under 80kg, Box Smart Elite), Lewis Williams (Under 92kg, Cleary’s) and Delicious Orie (Over 92kg, Jewellery Quarter, pictured above) are the eight men chosen.

Team England’s Team Leader for Boxing at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Darren Chapple, said: “It’s going to be a very special occasion, especially because we have got athletes from Birmingham in the group.

“It is an opportunity to showcase to the world what they are about and how far they have developed in the sport.”

The Games take place between Thursday 28th July and Monday 8th August, while the boxing tournament will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) between Friday 29th July and Sunday 7th August.

Team England is looking to uphold a proud boxing history at the Commonwealth Games with some of the sport’s biggest names, such as Nicola Adams and Joe Joyce, having won gold for their country.

England top the all-time medal table in boxing with an impressive 128 medals, including 60 golds.

Boxer Delicious Orie, a European bronze medallist earlier this year and who will compete in the Over 92kg class, added: “I can’t wait for the Games to start… I’ve very excited.

“I started boxing in Birmingham when I was 18 years old and now I get the chance to represent Team England in Birmingham, close to my club of Jewellery Quarter in front of all my friends and family. I can’t put into words what that means.”