Akash aims to find his range in Euros

The 17-year-old is part of the England team that landed in Kolobrzeg 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 Stadium Arena over the next eight days. The draw will be made tomorrow.

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.

He's since been preparing for the trip at Merridale in Wolverhampton, having made the switch from Wellington Academy last year.

Now Tuqir will be looking to play to his strengths and force his way into medal contention, with a track record of always being there or thereabouts.

He said: "I've only got one more year before I become a senior, so now is the time to deliver. I know what I've got to do.

"I'm an awkward southpaw, I've got to be the tallest at the weight for my age in Europe. I'm 5ft 11in, so I can call upon a lot of range.

"I'm able to cause anyone problems and that's what I'll bring to the table. I'm not going to know many of my opponents, but I have a game-plan.

"I'm good on the back-foot, so that should give me the time to suss out who I'm in with and how best to beat them.

"I've come a long way to get there and I'm determined to come home with a medal. If I box to my abilities, I'll have a chance against anyone."

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.

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.

The 2014 junior final was conceded in the last 10 seconds to four-time national champion Francie Doherty, losing by a point after being tagged by a couple of jabs at the death.

His first decider under the Merridale banner came against defending youth titlist Brandon Doard, where he was outpointed again on a split decision.

Tuqir has come back fighting, again, and will be looking to put things right in next year's Youth tournament after his exploits in Poland.

He added: "I really thought I'd won it against Doard this year, even my corner was telling me I'd got it but the judges gave it to him.

"Then again, you look at some of the lads I've lost to and they all seem to have faded away. I'm still here and this is my time to shine."