Paul Hyland and Neil Walker are two young boxers hoping to come out of the shadows and make their own mark.

Both have done well at intermediate level and yesterday flew out to India as part of the five-man boxing team in Northern Ireland's Commonwealth Youth Games squad.

Hyland believes he can take his game to a new level, having been beaten in the Antrim and Ulster intermediate finals last year and has moved from Gleann to Immaculata ABC.

On both occasions he was drawn into a slugfest and that is something the 18-year-old electrician with Wilson and Dowds wants to put right.

Hyland said: "As a junior I won two Irish titles and five Ulster titles and I was more of a natural boxer but I know I can hit as well and I just seemed to allow myself to get caught up in toe-to-toe fights.

"I know that I need to change that, I need to be boxing more to score points on the computer and having moved to Immaculata I've already noticed a difference - I'm getting great sparring for a start.

"My dad is still working with me as well as Nugget (Nugent) and things have been going great.

“I know I can get a lot better and hopefully I can show that in India.

"We've been training together for the past six weeks as a team and it has been going very well."

Those sentiments regarding the team spirit are echoed by flyweight Neil Walker of the Dockers Club.

"Jamie was just too experienced for me but I have a long way to go and I think these Commonwealth Youth Games will be a great experience for all the lads and we're going looking to bring home medals," said Walker.

The other three competing in the ring are light-fly Michael Conlan (St John Bosco), lightweight Sean Duffy (Keady) and welterweight Conor Coyle (St Joseph's Derry).