The coach of boxing star Niamh Mitchell has said she's "done herself and the country proud" on her Commonwealth Games debut.
James White, who coaches the 20-year-old at Bowhill Miners Boxing Club, in Cardenden, feels that there are "major positives" she can take after losing out to the eventual champion.
Niamh was handed a tough draw in Glasgow, against India's Priya Ghanghas, who in April won gold at the 2026 Asian Boxing Elite Boxing Championships.
The victor was guaranteed to win at least a bronze medal in the women's 60kg category, and Niamh started well, winning the opening round.
However, her opponent came back to take the next two, and the contest by a split decision.
Ghanghas then went on to win the gold medal, defeating England's Lucy Kings-Wheatley in the semi-final, before getting the better of Canada's Marie-Bathoul Al-Ahmadieh in the final.
That was one of seven boxing gold medals won by India - a Commonwealth Games record - with boxers from the country contesting no less than 10 finals in the ring.
Whilst harbouring hopes of reaching the podium, Niamh said ahead of competing in Glasgow that she wanted to come out of the ring "knowing that I've done myself proud, and I'm proud of my performance", and White believes she's achieved that.
"She's done herself and the country proud," he said.
"There's major positives to take away from the tournament.
"She started the bout brilliant. It should've been 5-0 (in the judges scoring), but she was 4-1 up, first round.
"She won the first round 4-1, lost the second 4-1, which was tight. The three rounds were tight.
"She's done really well. She's in there with the world number four.
"She's been beaten by a razor-thin decision by the world number four, and, it just shows that she belongs there.
"First round, she was superb. Second round, she just lost her legs a little bit.
"It's the pace of the bout as well. The Indian was putting major pressure on as well."
"She'll come back strong. She always does."
Meanwhile, Niamh is one of 10 boxers from across the UK to have been added to a new GB Boxing squad.
A joint programme between Boxing Scotland, England Boxing, Welsh Boxing, and GB Boxing, they have been named as part of the latter's 'Future Olympic Medal Strategy'.
That is a new investment from GB Boxing designed to identify talented fighters in home nation programmes that have Olympic podium potential, and provide them with targeted, personalised support, with a focus on the 2032 Games in Brisbane.
Share