JOE Cordina will follow in the footsteps of fellow St Joseph's fighters Fred Evans and Andrew Selby after sealing his place at the Rio Olympics later this year.

Lightweight Cordina beat Ireland’s David Joyce in the semi-finals of the European Olympic qualification event in Samsun, Turkey to secure a spot in Brazil.

Cordina’s achievement means St Joseph’s Boxing Club will be represented at a second successive Olympic Games.

Selby, who fights for the vacant British flyweight title in Cardiff next month, and Evans both flew the flag for the Newport gym four years ago in London.

Cordina will now be looking to go one better than silver medallist Evans and become the first Welshman to win an Olympic gold in the boxing ring.

The European champion and Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner claimed a unanimous points decision against Joyce.

He was forced to box on the back foot from the start but landed the first telling blows of the contest as his opponent came forward at every opportunity.

Cordina, who used his jab to good effect before unleashing a couple of big rights, was awarded the opening round by all three judges.

The second began well for Cordina, although he wasn’t rewarded for a clear knockdown in the early stages.

It seemed that a right hand had clearly floored Joyce yet somehow the referee viewed it as a slip.

The Irishman then came on strong and found big gaps in the Cordina defence, catching the Welshman on more than one occasion with eye-catching punches.

After winning the second when it seemed as though Joyce had done enough, Cordina knew that only a stoppage in the third was going to deny him his place at the Olympics in August.

Cordina picked his shots well as Joyce tried desperately to land a telling blow, the right hand in particular proving effective.

As it turned out, Joyce was actually awarded the last round but Cordina had done enough to emerge victorious.

Cordina will face France’s Sofiane Oumiha in the 60kg final of the qualification event.