Scots can strike gold, says Burns

RICKY BURNS believes Scotland’s Commonwealth Games boxing contenders can help set themselves up for life by winning gold in Birmingham. The former three-weight world champion has been working as a coach with Boxing Scotland for the past year to help prepare the eight fighters for next month’s event. Burns never competed at a Commonwealth or Olympic Games after turning pro at 18, instead taking the long road to success by competing on the small-hall circuit for the first few years of his career. The 39-year-old insists he has no regrets about his own boxing journey but has told this year’s hopefuls — including Reese Lynch, who last year became the first Scot to win a medal at the world amateur boxing championships — that a successful Games will help enhance their earning prospects when they turn pro. Burns said: ‘All eight of the team going to the Games are capable of winning gold and I can say that having trained with all of them. ‘The preparations have been thorough. You can see they are fully committed to doing well. ‘When I was younger, we never had the set-up they have at Boxing Scotland. I always say I did it the hard way. ‘Nobody knew me, I just signed up and then I was fighting on all the hotel shows. Whereas now, if you can do well at the Olympics or the Commonwealth Games, then you’re straight on to a major platform at the start of your professional career. ‘The boxers who win medals always seem to get better deals when they turn professional and that can make a huge difference to any young boxer looking to make a career out of the game. ‘Otherwise it can be tough when you’re an unknown trying to make a name for yourself at the start. With the team we have, all eight are more than capable of winning medals.’ Burns admits he is coming to the end of his own boxing career but hopes to fight at least once more — ideally in Glasgow — before retiring.