Adams prepares to be targetted from rivals

Leeds's Nicola Adams holds up her gold medal for winning the women's flyweight boxing competition.

Adams added Commonwealth gold to her London 2012 title in Glasgow on Saturday night after holding her nerve to score a split decision win over her 21-year-old opponent from Belfast.

Adams’s win was the highlight of a successful finals day for England boxers with gold medals also going to her room-mate Savannah Marshall, Antony Fowler, Scott Fitzgerald and Joe Joyce.

But if the boxing competition in Glasgow proved anything it is that the strength in depth of women’s boxing is far removed from the largely anonymous days when Adams first laced on gloves.

Adams said: “I think everybody’s after me now so I’ve got quite a big target on my back – I’m number one in the world and I’m Olympic and Commonwealth champion.

“Everybody wants to beat me so I can’t just focus on one person. I have to focus on everyone now.”

Leeds’s Qais Ashfaq made a good start in his bantamweight final against Northern Ireland’s Michael Conlan, but was outpointed by the Olympic bronze medallist.

Defiant Ashfaq said: “I know for a fact that on my day I could beat him. Next for me is the Worlds, the Europeans and then next year Olympic qualifiers.

“I’m still learning and still young – it’s been an amazing experience.”