THEY have already had a 2018 to remember but fighters Lauren Price and Rosie Eccles are eager to finish the year on a high by going all the way at the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships.

The competition gets under way in New Delhi, India on Wednesday with the Pontypool ABC and GB Boxing duo five wins away from landing a dream gold medal.

Ystrad Mynach middleweight Price enters the ring in the Indian capital having become a Commonwealth Games champion in April and European bronze medallist two months later.

While welterweight Eccles, from Caerleon, goes for glory after landing a silver medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealths and golds in tournaments in Belgium and Turkey.

The pair are part of a seven-strong GB Boxing party out in India who are joined by three Scottish boxers not part of the Sheffield set-up under Rob McCracken.

Price, a four-time kickboxing world champion and ex-international footballer, and Eccles, currently studying for a masters degree in sports psychology, are both dreaming of the 2020 Olympics.

And successful campaigns at the worlds wouldn’t do their chances of booking a seat on the plane to Tokyo in two years’ time any harm whatsoever.

“It has been the best year of my career so far after becoming Commonwealth Games champion and winning a bronze medal at the European Championships,” said Price, 24.

“The goal for me in India is to finish the year on a high by bringing back a medal, and it would be a dream come true to become a world champion.

“Preparations have been great. We had a training camp in Italy then the France team came over to Sheffield for sparring.

“The week before flying out to India we were in Germany training with them, Ireland, Sweden and the USA.”

Looking ahead, she added: “It would mean everything to me to be selected for Tokyo 2020 as it’s my dream to compete at the Olympic Games.”

While Price has competed at the world championships before, this year’s event is a first for 22-year-old Eccles.

“It’s my first worlds and I’m hoping to do the business,” she said. “I’ll see what I can do and just try and perform well in every fight I have.

“I’ve had 12 fights this year and I’m hoping for five more. I’m in good shape and feel really strong at the moment.

“I know I can win, I’m adamant about that. I believe that if I perform to my best I can beat anyone.

“It would mean everything to stand on the podium and hear the Welsh anthem being played.”