North East boxing duo set for European Games with Olympic target

Sunderland flyweight MacDonald and Newcastle featherweight Dryden make up the GB Boxing team who will travel to Krakow, Poland to be part of a contingent of 178 athletes that will represent Team GB at the multi-sport event where 44 places to box at Paris 2024 will be on offer.

Team GB’s boxing line-up is comprised of seven men and six women from England, Scotland and Wales and includes seven boxers that won medals at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham – including MacDonald.

The seven male selections include 2021 European champion Harris Akbar and three Commonwealth Games gold medallists, Delicious Orie, Lewis Williams and Reese Lynch.

They are joined by MacDonald, Taylor Bevan and talented newcomer Dryden from Birtley.

The group of six women includes 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rosie Eccles, Demie-Jade Resztan, who won silver in Birmingham, and Tokyo Olympian Charley Davison. The trio will be joined in Poland by Kerry Davis, Shona Whitwell and Elise Glynn.

GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken said: “The Paris Olympic cycle is shorter than the usual four years (owing to Covid) and means this qualifying event has come around very early, so this will be a test for the boxers.

“The European Games is always a top-quality competition and I expect this one to be especially challenging. It will be competitive in every weight class and our boxers will need to be at their best to secure qualification as they are competing for a relatively small number of Olympic places.

He added: “Changes to the weight categories for Paris 2024 mean the men’s selection was particularly competitive and has resulted in a lot of talented boxers in the GB Boxing squad missing out on this occasion which is disappointing because many of them have the ability to go to the Olympic Games and do well.

"It is unfortunate but this is the harsh reality of elite sport and means that the boxers we have selected need to look forward to the challenge and make the most of this opportunity.”

MacDonald, who earned silver in his first ever European Boxing Championship finals last year before following it up with Commonwealth silver in the summer, is hoping he can go one better this time around.

“I do believe I’ll top the podium at future major events,” MacDonald said last year following his Commonwealth final defeat to Indian boxer Amit Panghal.

“He was the better man on the day, it’s one of them things.

“That’s boxing for you, I’ll be back stronger. You just learn more and more (from these big events), from the World Championships, from the Europeans and from this.

“I must keep this momentum going. The Olympic qualifiers start next year and then it’s onto the games, that’s where I believe I belong. I want to top the podium.”

The European Championships take place from June 21 – July 2.