Londonderry middleweight ready to rumble in Rio’s ring

AFTER a string of knock-backs beyond his control, middleweight boxer Daniel Lewis says his selection into the Australian Olympics team is like a dream.

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LONDONDERRY boxer Daniel Lewis says his selection into the Australian Olympics team is like a dream following 12 years of training and discipline and some serious setbacks along the way.

“It has been a hard road leading up to the selection and it still feels like a dream,” he said.

“I go to Canberra today where they make it all official and I will have media interviews; maybe then the selection will settle in.”

The middleweight became a confirmed selection for the Games when he won bronze on Friday, April 1, in the 75kg class at the Asian qualifiers in China.

Lewis said he had moved up a weight division to middleweight which made it much easier to make the required weight.

He said in 2014 he had to fight at 69kg which had become a struggle for him to maintain.

“Now at 75kg I feel strong and I don’t have to stress on my weight, I am comfortable with it. I can focus more on my skills and try to improve my boxing,” he said.

Lewis suffered a further setback on his way to scoring a medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games two years ago.

Daniel Lewis will fight in the middleweight division.

During one bout he suffered a cut eye and had to be put out of the event.

Early on in his career Lewis suffered a broken jaw at the Australian team trials aged just 17 and was out of contention for selection to the London Olympics.

But true to his sport, he gets back up and soldiers on.

Lewis said he was satisfied with his progress as a boxer over the past few years and enjoyed working with his two Australian trainers Kevin Smith and Don Abnedd who had both contributed significantly to his success in selection to the Olympic team.

True fighter ... Daniel Lewis will realise his dream to compete at the Olympics despite some setbacks.