Coaches at a Cumbrian boxing club have saluted the skill and dedication of the fighter who has earned a big chance with Great Britain.

Ike Ogbo from Carlisle-based Border City Amateur Boxing Club was this week named on GB’s emerging talent programme.

It comes after he impressed the national set-up’s coaches in a series of assessments, after his national amateur superheavyweight title victory last year.

Ogbo is now effectively in GB’s reserve squad, and will train regularly with the national squad in a bid to attain full-time status.

Dean Jopson, from Border City ABC, said they were proud of Ogbo’s progress and excited to see how far he can continue to go.

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“Everybody’s really over the moon for Ike – for his dedication and the way he’s got there,” Jopson said.

“And from a club point of view it gives you a real sense of achievement.

“It shows young boxers that if they show the dedication, listen and learn – not just to the coaches but the other boxers they’re working with – these things are achievable.”

Ogbo – who is an accident and emergency doctor at the Cumberland Infirmary – is one of three boxers on the GB emerging talent programme.

Jopson added: “The next stage for Ike is to go down and be part of the GB squad, to train with them every month in Sheffield and hopefully go forward to represent England and GB in some tournaments.

“There are different levels to the GB set-up. The podium squad go to the Olympics and events like that. Ike is effectively an understudy to the podium squad.

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“But there are lots of different Box Cups and multi-nation events that England and GB will enter, and Ike will be trying his hardest to make the squads and represent the country in some form.

“With him being a doctor, he’s not looking at going professional, but his dream is to represent his professional country at amateur level.

“He’s really over the moon at how far he’s come so far, but he’s also a great club man. This week he’s been helping prepare John-Joe Carrigan, who won at the national schoolboys this year, for a box cup this weekend.

“He’ll help anybody.”