A key heavyweight clash is taking place this weekend. Delicious Orie begins his Olympic qualification campaign at the European Games in Poland on Sunday.
Orie, Britain’s amateur super-heavyweight, is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce and Frazer Clarke, who have all medaled for GB at the Olympics in the last three editions of the Games.
In fact it’s been 20 years since GB didn’t have a super-heavyweight Olympic medalist. That puts pressure and degree of expectation on Orie, a relative newcomer at international level.
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Super-heavyweight Delicious Orie is determined to win gold for Team GB at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The European Games is the first Olympic qualification event for GB boxers, with two more world qualifiers to come next year.
“This is the tournament I’ve been looking forward towards for a very long time,” Orie told Sky Sports. “I feel like I’ve accumulated enough experience to put me at the top of that podium.”
However, it will be difficult to qualify in this tournament. At super-heavyweight Orie would have to reach the final to win a place at Paris 2024.
“It’s a tight margin. The best two in Europe can qualify this time round but I know that I’m more than capable of doing it. Last year I got the bronze at the Europeans and I’m also well aware of the competition. I was fresh, I was new back then,” he said.
“I’m aware of the competition, I know what to expect and I believe I’ve trained more than hard enough.”
Although the Europeans are a much tougher event in boxing than the Commonwealth Games, winning the gold medal in his Birmingham hometown has inspired Orie ahead of this competition.
“If GB Boxing have given me the opportunity to qualify I know that they know that I’m ready. So that’s where I get my confidence from,” Orie said.
“They’ve produced super-heavyweights time and time again on that podium. So I know that I’m more than capable of doing it myself.”
But he’s drawn in what could be his toughest contest in Poland in his first bout. On Sunday evening Orie boxes Marko Milun, an experienced and tricky Croatian southpaw.
But the GB super-heavy insisted: “I’m feeling great very confident.
“I can achieve that gold medal. I just know that I’m more than capable of doing it.”
On Sunday England’s Harris Akbarthe 71kgs European gold medalist last year, also makes his entrance into this tournament, against Germany’s Magomed Schachidov.
“He beat the best and he’s more than capable of doing it again,” Orie noted.
After a good opening win, Scottish 63.5kgs Reese Lynch has his second bout at these games against Bulgaria’s Radoslav Rosenov.
GB middleweight Kerry Davis will also be in action today.
On Monday three of Britain’s key qualification hopes will be boxing; returning Olympian Charlie DavisonWales’ Rosie Ecclesanother Commonwealth Games gold medalist, and Kiaran MacDonaldwho won silver at the European championships last year.