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When British boxers competed at the 2004 European Championships in Croatia – Amir Khan included – the entire squad was on their way home within four days of the tournament’s first bell sounding.

Khan might have become the golden boy at the Athens Olympics a few months later en route to enjoying a glittering career in the pro game... but what a difference a decade makes.

Great Britain topped the boxing medal table at London 2012 – our own Fred Evans winning welterweight silver – and the ringmasters have become one of the true success stories of British sport.

So, when the AIBA World Championships get underway in the Kazakhstan capital Almaty on Monday, medals will be expected rather than just hoped for.

And a strong Welsh element will be leading the charge of the British fight brigade in a landmark tournament – the first without headguards following AIBA’s rule change in March.

Olympic medallist Evans (69kg) is back following his U-turn on going pro, as is two-time European champion Andrew Selby (52kg). They will be joined in a 13-man GB squad by Sean McGoldrick (56kg) and Joe Cordina (60kg).

Incredibly, all four boxers are attached to St Joseph’s ABC in Newport and have excelled under the clever coaching of Tony Borg before honing their skills at Team GB’s base in Sheffield.

“To get four boys in the GB team at the World Championships is unbelievable,” said Borg.

“They get great support up in Sheffield, so much so that it’s not just about turning up at these tournaments anymore – it’s about winning medals.

“There’s so much talent in that squad I’d be very disappointed if they didn’t come home with several medals.”

Wales have also selected light-flyweight Ashley Williams and light-welterweight Zack Davies to compete in Almaty, both boys part of GB Boxing’s Podium Potential squad.

But while it might be a learning experience for that pair, the Welsh quartet in British vests have the capability to go all the way.

“Andrew’s been so close in the worlds in the past, Sean’s got a good chance and Joe is performing well,” said Borg. “Joe’s got fast hands and fast feet, he’s an in and out boxer with good technique and this is a great step up for him.”

And what of the chances of Evans going one better than he did at London just over a year ago?

“Fred’s a class act and there’s no doubt he can win a medal out there,” said Borg.

“He’s undoubtedly world-class at amateur level because he can do it over three or five rounds and beat anyone.

“I have said that he would have to train properly if he turned pro, but he has got a lot of options out there after competing in WSB (World Series of Boxing).

“There’s not much point turning pro because he’s earning good money in the amateurs right now and getting great experience every year. He might have to make a decision in the next year or so when it comes to qualifying for the Rio Olympics, but I don’t see the point of turning pro before then.”

Selby's big year ahead

Lee Selby has a massive 2014 in front of him after becoming the first Welshman to claim outright ownership of a Lonsdale Belt for 18 years.

I wrote last week that I was delighted to see Selby go down the traditional route of proving himself the best in Britain to secure one of the most prestigious belts in boxing before focusing on European and world honours.

Selby duly did so by outpointing game Cromer challenger Ryan Walsh at London’s O2 Arena, his landslide victory completing a third defence of his British featherweight title and emulating the Lonsdale Belt efforts of Swansea’s Floyd Havard in 1995.

Now the 26-year-old from Barry – who is also reigning Commonwealth champion – is set to do battle for the vacant European title and I’m told that his proposed showdown with former world title challenger Rendall Munroe is “99% on for mid-December”.

I would expect Selby to see off Munroe, now 33 and back out of retirement, and maybe have one or two more fights before that world title shot comes knocking in maybe 12 months time.

Selby’s trainer Tony Borg agrees with that assessment, saying: “I’d be very surprised if Lee wasn’t fighting for a world title this time next year.

“He’s got a step up in class against Munroe but Lee is getting better and better and you’ll see the best of him when he comes up against better opponents.

“There’s so much more to come and he will raise his game when he meets those fighters.”

Selby, for the second consecutive fight, had to take some criticism as he was some way from his flashy best against the switch-hitting Walsh.

It was to prove another learning fight on the back of his summer struggle with the tough-as-teak Romanian Viorel Simion, yet there still seemed plenty in the Welshman’s tank after the concern of collecting cuts above both eyes by accidental head clashes.

“Lee started off a bit cold and did not get the best of starts,” conceded Borg, echoing the ringside reflections of world super-middleweight champion Carl Froch.

“But he picked things up nicely before getting those cuts and it’s not easy when you’ve got blood trickling down your face.

“It’s easy to think ‘What’s going on here and it’s not going to be my night’, but Lee composed himself and ended up putting in a mature performance.

“People might think he might have done better, but it’s like Man United coming down to Newport.

“They wouldn’t have to be at their best to win, and it’s the same with Lee.”