PROMISING Belfast featherweight James McGivern is targeting a place at the Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa after picking up yet another national title in Dublin last Friday night.
The St George's slickster was considered by many to be the underdog going into his Youth Two final against Oliver McCarthy, after the Cork teenager's first round stoppage win over Paulstown's Jamie Cullen a week previous.
But after a close first round between the two former European schoolboy champions, McGivern boxed well to secure a split decision at the National Stadium.
And Danny Boyd - the 17-year-old's coach at St George's - believes being part of the Northern Ireland panel that heads for Samoa in September is a realistic goal for McGivern.
"That's the hope," he said. "James will enter the national U22s in the summer and hopefully, if he does well there, he'll qualify for the European Youth Championships in Poland in November.
"He's unbeaten in three years in Ireland, so it would be good to see him involved in any training camps coming up with the Irish team, just to build up his experience.
"He's only training with us at the minute and with that extra bit of experience - as well as improving his strength and conditioning - the sky's the limit."
It could all have been so different though had Boyd followed through with plans to pull McGivern out of Friday's final after the talented teenager struggled to shrug off the effects of the flu.
"He was dying all week," said Boyd. "I was a wee bit worried about his fitness because last Thursday he was up sparring and he wasn't great so we considered pulling him out. But then when I took him on the pads, I knew he was going to win. He looked so sharp.
"It was seen as a 50-50 fight going into it, but it didn't turn out that way. The first round could've gone either way but James eventually worked him out. He boxed brilliantly."
Other Ulster winners in Dublin on Friday night were John Moran (Illies GG), Aaron McKenna (Old School) and Errigal's Dominic Bradley in the Youth One Championships.
n SUCCESS: James McGivern (second left) celebrates his Irish title success with his father Jim, brother Jack, Jason McGrady and St George's coach Danny Boyd