HADSPEN boxer Tyler Blizzard will fight outside Australia for the first time when he represents his country in the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa in September.
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The 17-year-old was one of two Tasmanian fighters to be picked in the seven-member boxing team for the games, which will be held in Apia on September 5-12.
Blizzard won a national title in the youth 49 kilogram-and-under class at the Australian championships in February, which earned him a ticket to the international competition.
‘‘I feel pretty lucky to have made the team and to be given an opportunity to represent Australia in such a big event and on a stage like that,’’ he said.
‘‘I won my three fights at nationals and then just had to wait to find out from Boxing Australia who would represent at the youth games.
‘‘I only found out on Friday and I was pretty happy about it.’’
Coached at the Latrobe gym of Craig Woods, Blizzard said he would focus on his preparation for the Commonwealth Youth Games between now and September.
‘‘I will be training as hard as I can and as much as I can, and my training under Craig is going really well – he is a good, hard coach,’’ he said.
Blizzard said his long-term ambition was to make a senior Australian boxing team for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
Bridgenorth boxer Jack Seabourne was the other Tasmanian selected in the Australian team for the games.
