Teen boxer eyes up Team GB glory at Youth Olympics
· Yahoo Sports
A teenage boxer from south-west London is eyeing potential future Olympic glory after she was selected by Team GB to compete in the Youth Olympics at the end of this month.
Lily Bassett, 16, from Tooting, recently won her fourth consecutive junior European Championship gold medal in Serbia after she beat opponents up to three years older than her.
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She is among 16 athletes across a range of sports who will represent Great Britain at the Youth Games which begin in Dakar, Senegal, on 31 October.
Marcus Luther, who started coaching Bassett at his club TM Boxing when she was six, said she had the talent to make it all the way to the top.
"Nobody beats her. She's the best kid in the world. She's been the best kid in the world for a long time now," he told BBC London.
"We are looking at a girl who potentially could be as great as Katie Taylor."
Taylor won Olympic gold for Ireland at London 2012 before she turned pro and became three-time undisputed world champion.
Luther, who is a familiar face to fans of Channel 4 show Gogglebox having formerly starred from his sofa on the series for many years, said he believed his young protégé was well equipped for life in the limelight.
"When she started coming to boxing she was a really shy girl. Part of the reason for her family bringing her here was to bring her out of her shell," he said.
"I never thought she would end up boxing at the highest level. Now she has so much confidence and self-belief."
Marcus Luther has been coaching Lily since she was six [BBC]That self-belief is not in short supply.
Asked whether she one day wanted to emulate Nicola Adams and Lauren Price by winning Olympic gold for Great Britain, Bassett replied that she believed she was good enough to win a place in the squad for the LA Olympics in 2028.
"I've always got 100% belief and faith in myself that I can come out on top," she said.
"I think LA 2028 can come true for me. I am one of the most decorated amateur boxers at my age. I think my dedication, my talent and my hard work will all be worth it."
While Bassett will be eligible for selection for 2028, it is too early to tell how realistic her chances are.
She is part of GB Boxing's "Future Olympic Medal Strategy" cohort which has a particular focus on Brisbane 2032 and beyond.
The Dakar Games, the first Olympic event to be held in Africa, will be the fourth edition of the Youth Olympics, which was first held in Singapore in 2010.
Diver Tom Daley and taekwondo athlete Jade Jones both competed in those inaugural games and went on to win full Olympic gold later in their career.
On her upcoming trip to the Senegalese capital, Bassett said: "It's going to be amazing to be a part of an historic event. It's so exciting to be able to go and compete in the first Olympics in Africa."
'A proper bruiser'
Bassett's mother Lucy Grainger said her daughter was only introduced to boxing as a child because her older brother was having lessons.
"He quickly got fed up with it and wanted to do basketball instead, but Lily entered the gym and was a proper bruiser so we let her get on with it," she said.
"When I heard she was going to the Youth Olympics I cried. I cry at everything. As soon as she gets in the ring I cry. As soon as she gets on the podium I cry. I'm just over the moon for her. She works hard. She deserves it."
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