REIGNING Light-Welterweight World champion Josh Taylor said winning Commonwealth Games Gold on home soil in 2014 is still the proudest moment of his boxing career.
The Prestonpans boxer returned to the Games, which were held in Glasgow, after winning Silver in Delhi in 2010 as a 19-year-old.
This time the Southpaw would go one step further as he helped Scotland to win four boxing medals, our biggest medal haul since the last time the Games were held in Scotland in 1986.
Charlie Flynn also won Gold at Lightweight to ensure Scotland had two Commonwealth champions at a Games for the first time in 52 years.
“Fortunately, I made up for the disappointment of Delhi at the 2014 Games in Glasgow,” said Taylor.
“That was a great occasion: the weather during the Games was perfect – almost as hot as it had been in India.
“Once again there was a great atmosphere among the athletes in the village and the spectators at the events.
“I didn’t get to sample too much of that, though, because I managed to go all the way to the final again; at least I got to enjoy the party afterwards.
“Getting the gold that time made all the difference, of course. I beat Namibia’s Junias Jonas in the final right after Charlie Flynn had won the Gold in the Lightweight division.
“It was an unbelievable feeling to stand on the podium and sing Flower Of Scotland – in Scotland! – with all my family and friends and the rest of the nation singing along with me and watching the flag being raised.
“Obviously, I’ve gone on to enjoy my time in the professional ranks, winning world titles and eventually unifying the 140lb division.
“But I can honestly say that being presented with my medal that night at the Hydro was the proudest moment of my career.”
Taylor beat Botswana’s Kagiso Bagwasi in the prelims, before overcoming Richarno Colin of Mauritius in his second preliminary contest.
A points victory over Zach Davies of Wales in the Quarter-Finals followed, before he defeated England’s Sam Maxwell by unanimous decision in the Semi’s. That set-up a final against Namibia’s Junias Jonas, with Taylor winning Gold in front of a raucous home crowd at the Hydro.
The boxing Postman Charlie Flynn also won Gold, after defeating Northern Ireland’s Joseph Fitzpatrick in the Lightweight Final.
The 60kg boxer also overcame Australia’s Nick Cooney (Prelims), Ghana’s Jessie Lartey (Quarter-Finals) and Welsh boxer Joe Cordina in the Semi-Finals en-route to Gold.
There were also two other medals, with Reece McFadden winning the first of two Commonwealth Games Flyweight Bronze medals as he went out in the Semi-Finals to Australia’s Andrew Maloney, after having claimed very impressive scalps against Welsh boxer Andrew Selby and England’s Charlie Edwards in order to win a medal.
Heavyweight Stephen Lavelle also won Bronze as he beat Wales’ Kody Davies and India’s Amritpreet Singh, before going out to New Zealand’s David Light in the Semi’s.
Other Scottish representatives in Glasgow were Aqeel Ahmed (49kg), Joe Ham (56kg), Lewis Benson (69kg), Kieran Smith (75kg), Scott Forrest (81kg) and Ross Henderson (91+kg), who lost to English Super-Heavyweight Joe Joyce in the Quarter-Finals.
Scottish boxing medallists Commonwealth Games 2014 – Glasgow, Scotland;
Charlie Flynn, Lightweight Gold
Josh Taylor, Light-Welterweight Gold
Reese McFadden, Flyweight Bronze
Stephen Lavelle, Heavyweight Bronze
