Damar Thomas, a 6ft 6ins, 17.5st southpaw, is the new Commonwealth Games heavyweight champion. At just 21, he follows Delicious Ore (2022), Frazer Clarke (2018) and Joe Joyce (2014) to gold, one of four England squad members to top the podium in Glasgow.
Aim for 2028 Olympics
At this stage it is one tournament at a time, but the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles will be a big target for the 23 Commonwealth medalists from across the four home nations. Thomas is also the European Under-23 champion and lost only to double Olympic champion Julio La Cruz at last year’s World Championships.
Defeat is part of the game. The loss to the Cuban veteran did not set him back. He saw it as a huge learning process, the only way to get better.
Team GB set-up
Thomas is part of the Team GB set-up in Sheffield, a proven, world-class operation that basically apes the Soviet era experience. It is, in all but name, a professional set-up. From facilities to coaches and organisation, everything is carefully co-ordinated.
When Barry McGuigan was coming through almost 50 years ago, there was one full-time coach, and the rest of the staff had full-time jobs and had to take time off work to attend big tournaments. Now there are more than half-a-dozen podium coaches plus support staff under performance director Rob McCracken. It is a well-oiled machine, and Thomas is flourishing in the environment. It doesn’t mean he will succeed, or even turn pro, but it gives all the boxers the best chance possible.
Lottery funding and talent
Boxing has been one of the great beneficiaries of Lottery funding. You can’t just turn up at tournaments and expect to win. You have to train like a champion every day of the week. It’s all about putting in the hours, day-in, day-out, in a programme tailored to delivering excellence. It’s a long commitment, but this kid loves it. He is dedicated and driven to succeed, plus he is very talented.
Thomas is blessed with the height and reach of a classic 21st Century heavyweight with a serious, southpaw jab. He puts his punches together really well and had far too much for his Indian opponent in the Glasgow final, a performance that will bolster confidence as he continues to climb the career ladder.
