Sky Academy Sports Scholarships: Jason Quigley and Savannah Marshall reveal plans for the future
By Sam Drury - Follow on Twitter
Last Updated: 26/03/17 3:52pm
Following their success in the past month, Sky Academy Sports Scholars Jason Quigley and Savannah Marshall appeared on Sky Sports boxing show Ringside to talk about the next steps they will take in their respective careers.
Ireland's Quigley won the middleweight silver medal at the recent AIBA World Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan after a series of exciting performances whilst Marshall looked a class apart from her competitors in winning gold at the World Combat Games in St Petersburg, also in the middleweight division.
Having gone into the tournament with high hopes, Quigley revealed he would gladly have taken silver at the start, but admitted his disappointment having lost in the final was hard to contain.
"It was a storm of a tournament for me," said the 22-year-old from County Donegal. "Going into the tournament if anyone had said I would come away with a silver I would have taken their arms off them!
"It was a weird feeling to then be so disappointed when I lost in the final. It really showed how much I want to be a world champion in the near future because the disappointment is something else."
On the professional stage, Carl Frampton is the latest Irishman to make waves on the international scene and Quigley spoke of his desire to join the likes of Frampton in the pro ranks at some point in the future.
"Carl has really set the bar in the professional Irish scene now," he said. "He's making the excitement very big for boxing in Ireland, it's massive, and the excitement is something I'd look forward to getting involved in, the Irish professional excitement. It gives an extra lift to the country and he's doing massively.
Dream
"It's been a dream of mine since I was a very young age to become world professional champion. I think like a lot of young boxers but I'm just enjoying my recovery and my rest. I've got a few decisions to make, I'm going on holiday next week so whenever I come home we'll sit down and decide which is the right path for me.
"There's a great buzz about Ireland and the 'fighting Irish' they call us, it's a really exciting time for Irish boxing."
Meanwhile, Marshall refused to look too far ahead when asked about the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, but admitted the thrill of competing in London last summer has made her hungry to be involved in the Games again.
"I am (looking forward to Rio) but there are things to look forward to before then," she commented. "I don't want to think too far ahead, in case I don't make it. Just the experience of the Olympics was amazing and to have the opportunity to do it again - of course, I want to be there."
Asked about the prospect of winning more gold medals in the months and years to come, Marshall's response was simple.
"Well, I hate losing," she replied.