Benjamin Whittaker targets the gold standard

The 18-year-old, who will step up to the seniors next year, is going for gold at the European Youth Championships in Poland,

Whittaker, who fights out of Wodensborough Boxing Club, is set to captain the England team that landed in Kolobrzeg today for the 25th anniversary of the annual tournament.

A total of 266 boxers from 37 countries will be gunning for glory inside the Hala Millennium Arena over the next eight days. The draw will be made tomorrow.

And Whittaker knows what's required after competing at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa two months ago.

The talented middleweight settled for silver at 75kg, after being outpointed on a wafer-thin split decision to fellow Brit John Doherty.

Despite adding to his country's medal tally, the two-time national champion was aggrieved by defeat, after first outclassing his Cypriot and Tongan counterparts.

With the bit between his teeth, the Black Country teenager has vowed he'll be throwing the kitchen sink at his rivals to reach the gold standard.

He said: "The Games were class, it was such a fantastic experience and a real eye opener about what boxing at the top level is all about.

"But, I have to admit, I was gutted I didn't come home with gold. It was close and I couldn't put my finger on why I hadn't got it.

"I was rocking his head back with my shots, but maybe I should have been throwing three and four punches in bunches instead of ones and twos.

"When a fight is nip and tuck like that, you need to force a standing count or stoppage to be absolutely sure of the win. I understand that now.

"I want to be explosive in this tournament. I don't waste much, so I'm confident I'll hit the target with my flurries if I let my hands go.

"I like to keep my opponents at range and box cleanly, but I'll be piling on the pressure if I need to. This is an important tournament for me.

"I've going up to the seniors and I have assessments for GB next month. Gold in Poland to go with silver from Samoa is the way to go into it.

"I've had a great run as a youth, whatever happens. But I'm buzzing to be in Poland and I'm determined to go one better."

Whittaker could become a revenge mission for Cyprus' Antreas Kokkinos, who he put out of the Commonwealth Youth Games unanimously on points.

He set off from the West Midlands with Akash Tuqir, who takes the hopes of Wolverhampton's Merridale gym with him.

Tuqir's European bow has been five years in the making and he had to fight tooth and nail to secure his place on the plane.

With no national title to call his own, after losing four finals in his seven years of boxing, the teenager was only invited for assessments at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.

Box-offs were used to whittle four 52kg hopefuls down to two, before he got the nod as the one pick at the weight after a three-day camp ended two weeks of training at the EIS.

Irish former world junior champion Willie Donoghue could be his biggest threat at the weight, now he's whittled back down to 52kg.

Tuqir's confidence that he can taste glory is not unfounded, having been to the medal table representing his country against the other British nations.

He was just 12 when he won Tri-Nations gold as a schoolboy while he also took bronze at the Youth Three Nations in April, where Whittaker skippered the England side.

But luck has so often deserted him in national competition after falling at the last hurdle in two schoolboys, junior and this year's youth final.