GB BOXING has selected seven boxers to compete in the forthcoming EUBC European Boxing Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria, including Newport’s Joe Cordina.

The team, which is made up of six English boxers and one Welshman, includes Commonwealth Games middleweight champion, Antony Fowler, bantamweight silver medallist, Qais Ashfaq, and St Joseph's Cordina, who secured lightweight bronze for Wales at Glasgow 2014. The event runs from August 5-16.

The European Championships is part of the qualification pathway for Rio 2016 and boxers that finish in the top six in their weight class in Sofia will secure a place at the AIBA World Championships in Doha in September 2015, which is a qualifying event for next year’s Olympic Games.

GB Boxing has not named a heavyweight (91kg) to compete in Sofia and was not eligible to select a boxer at super-heavyweight and welterweight as Joe Joyce and Josh Kelly respectively have already secured a place in these weight classes at the 2015 World Championships as a result of their recent performances at the European Games in Baku.

GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken, said: “This is a very talented group of boxers and the European Championships is an opportunity for them to demonstrate their quality and show they have what it takes to compete at the highest level and get to the Olympic Games next year.

“The fact that it is part of the qualification pathway for Rio is an extra incentive for all of the boxers who will be looking to add to the success we have enjoyed at this competition in recent years.”

At the last European Championships in Minsk in June 2013, boxers from Great Britain won a gold and two bronze medals. Since Rob McCracken was appointed Performance Director in November 2009, men and women from the GB Boxing squad have won 39 medals at 11 major international competitions, including two golds and three bronze at the recent European Games in Baku 2015.

The team will travel to Bulgaria on Monday 3rd August and boxing begins on Thursday 6th.

Results and updates on the progress of the team at the European Championship will be posted at www.gbboxing.org.uk and on the GB Boxing twitter feed @gbboxing once the action gets underway.