Benjamin Whittaker on a Samoan mission
Darlaston's Benjamin Whittaker is going to Samoa after being selected to represent England at the Commonwealth Youth Games.
The 18-year-old, who represents Steve O'Rourke's Wodensborough Boxing Club, has been given the nod to form part of a five-man team,
England Boxing had to pick five of the best at the ages of 16 to 18, whittling down their best prospects at each weight into a final line-up.
Whittaker has won two national titles, going all of the way in the England Youth Championships this year and the National Ambition tournament of 2013.
He made his England debut last year and captained the Three Nations Youth team in just his second appearance, losing in the final.
The teenage middleweight is considered the country's best for his age at 75kg and has already took part in 40 unpaid bouts, with just four defeats.
His ultimate dream is to go to the Olympic Games and, as Rio 2016 is likely to come to soon, he's targeting Tokyo in 2020 when he would be 23.
That means there's no chance of the fit and firing stylist turning pro for some time to come, as long as he keeps progressing in the amateur code.
The next step is the Commonwealth, which begins on September 5 with the England fighters first heading to New Zealand on August 26, for a training camp to acclimatise.
In the meantime, he's training three times a day out of uncle Joby Clayton's Firewalker gym, at Wodensborough in the evenings and with his dad Tony Wilson at home.
He said: "I didn't want to jinx it by telling anyone but I thought, with all of the hard work that I had put in, I had to be a part of the squad.
"I did worry slightly when I lost in the final of the Three Nations, but I beat the European champion (Scotland's Willie Hutchinson) in the semis.
"The lad in the final (fellow Englishman Zak Chelli) was one of my mates who I had beaten before. To be honest, I switched off thinking it was going to be easy. I won't be doing that again.
"I've really started to get my name out there this year and we've had another selection camp since then. We all knew it was our last chance to impress, so every spar was like a fight.
"I am looking forward to working with the coaches, Paul Bennett and Mick Driscoll, and it's exciting to think what an experience it will be. Not many people can say they've boxed in Samoa.
"Ultimately, my dream is the Olympics. I think I would be at the perfect age when Tokyo comes around, but a lot of things have to happen before I get picked.
"For a start, I need to go to the Commonwealth Youth Games and come back with that gold medal. I'm not going there just to see the sights."
Whittaker got the Chelli defeat out of his system and put rounds in the bank last weekend, with success at the annual Haringey Box Cup.
Europe's largest international open event attracted 391 boxers this year to the Alexandra Palace, with the London Live cameras on hand.
Whittaker boxed twice in two days and first saw off Terry Conroy, before downing Lewis Richardson in the final to take home the belt.
He said: "They were good tests and it took me a while to get going but, when I did, they couldn't handle it. Both decisions were unanimous.
"I've got ring time in me now. Sparring is good, but you can't replicate competitive contests and my last one before that was the Three Nations.
"We tried to get me someone for my home show last month, but no one would take it. As it turned out, the Haringey Box Cup was really worth it."
