The city's English Institute of Sport hosts the World Boxing Cup: GB Open from Wednesday to Saturday with 27 boxers from British programme based at the same venue in action.

The vast majority of those, Sheffield’s light-flyweight Ivy-Jane Smith among them, are hoping to impress McCracken and the selectors enough to make it to the final Olympic boxing qualifier in Milan from March 4-11.

And boxing chief McCracken said: “We are at the start of an Olympic year and having this competition so early in 2024 is a great opportunity for our boxers to compete in the UK and will be excellent preparation for the second Olympic qualifying event.

Headline act: Britain's Delicious Orie, pictured celebrating his Commonwealth gold, steps up his preparations for the Olympics in Sheffield this week. (Picture: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images)

“The selection process for the second qualifier is around the corner and with places up for grabs, this competition in Sheffield provides a good platform for the boxers to demonstrate what they are capable of and stake a claim to be picked for the next Olympic qualification event.”

Nearly 100 boxers from 16 countries are set to take-part in the event which is only the fourth elite, multi-nation, Olympic-style boxing competition to be held in Great Britain since London 2012.

It is a new addition to the elite international boxing calendar and forms part of the World Boxing Cup series which has been developed by World Boxing, the new international federation established to ensure boxing remains at the heart of the Olympic movement.

Delicious Orie, who has already qualified for the Paris Olympics by virtue of his gold-medal triumph in lst year’s European Games, is competing on home soil for the first time since winning the Commonwealth Games super heavyweight title in Birmingham in 2022.

Local interest: Ivy-Jane Smith of Sheffield ABC ahead of the next step on the Olympic qualification journey (Picture: Nick Potts/PA)

“My plan for 2024 is to ensure I’m in peak condition for Paris and to do that I want to get in as many tournaments and training camps as possible and this competition in Sheffield is my first chance to do exactly that," he said.

“It is vital for me to continue my progression and competitions provide you with the experience you need to keep improving as you get the chance to test yourself against different styles of opponents.”

Elsewhere, featherweight Elise Glynn and light-heavyweight Taylor Bevan are just two of several boxers set to compete at the World Boxing Cup in Sheffield who have eyes on being selected for the Olympic qualifier.

Glynn said: “It will be great to box in front of a home crowd as we do not get to do it very often. I am looking forward to it as it means there will be a good atmosphere and we do not have to worry about travelling abroad and getting settled, so we can just get straight into competing. It would mean the world to me to get selected to go to the next qualifier. I feel fit, strong and I truly believe I can qualify.”

Big international names include Germany’s Maxi Klotzer, Nikolai Terteryan from Denmark who is another 2023 European Games gold medallist, and Panama’s two-time Olympian and two-time world championship medallist Atheyna Bylon.

There are two sessions a day Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, starting at 11am and 5pm. Finals on Saturday at 10am and 1.30pm.

Tickets for the “World Boxing Cup: GB Open” are on sale, starting at £10 (plus fee) for a day ticket, at www.seetickets.com or by clicking HERE.

Delicious Orie steps up Paris 2024 preparations at World Boxing Cup GB Open in Sheffield