Anthony Joshua not selected by the UK for European Championships

  • Published
Anthony Joshua

Britain's Olympic super-heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua has not been selected for the European Amateur Boxing Championships in Belarus.

Joshua, who won gold at London 2012, has yet to sign a new contract with GB Boxing as he considers turning pro.

A bunion problem also meant the 23-year-old could not be selected for the first major tournament since the Olympics, which begins on 1 June.

Fred Evans, who won silver in London, has also not been selected.

The Welshman competed in the World Series of Boxing, a semi-professional franchise tournament that allows amateurs to retain their Olympic status, with the GB Lionhearts earlier this year but is now considering his career options and could turn professional.

Evans's compatriot Andrew Selby, who also competed in London, will bid to make history by becoming the first British boxer to retain a European amateur title.

The 24-year-old flyweight is one of the elite squad named by GB Boxing for the week-long tournament in Minsk and defends the title he claimed in Turkey two years ago.

Joe Joyce takes Joshua's place at super-heavyweight after impressing with GB Lionhearts in WSB as he recorded five wins and only one defeat - which came at the hands of Ukraine's Olympic heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk.

The only other boxer to have featured in London and still be with the amateur set-up is Josh Taylor and the Scot has moved up from lightweight to light-welterweight for the June tournament.

With Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell, bronze medallist Anthony Ogogo and former team captain Tom Stalker having turned professional since the Games, GB Boxing performance director Rob McCracken is now looking to Rio 2016.

"Tournaments at this stage in the Olympic cycle are always tough and this will be a big challenge for the boxers as the Europeans are traditionally one of the toughest assignments in the calendar," he said.

"For a lot of this group it will be their first appearance at a major tournament so it is an opportunity for these boxers to test themselves at the highest level and demonstrate they have the qualities to become one of the mainstays of the GB squad as we build towards Rio 2016."

Boxers are part of the GB set-up but they will compete under their individual countries' banners while Scotland and Wales are expected to supplement the 13-strong team with their own selections.

The full GB-selected squad

Light-fly Jack Bateson (Eng); Flyweight Charlie Edwards (Eng); Andrew Selby (Wal); Bantamweight Gamal Yafai (Eng); Sean McGoldrick (Wal); Lightweight Joe Cordina (Wal); Light-welterweight Josh Taylor (Sco); Sam Maxwell (Eng); Middleweight Aston Brown (Sco); Antony Fowler (Eng); Light-heavy Lawrence Osueke (Eng); Heavyweight Warren Baister (Eng); Super-heavy Joe Joyce (Eng)

Related internet links

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.