WELSH boxers will be aiming to pack a punch this month as they try to floor their opponents in a bid to win Commonwealth Games gold.

Twelve boxers have been named in the squad for Manchester with four representatives from Gwent in the shape of welterweight Tony Doherty, (pictured) from the Pontypool and Panteg Amateur Boxing Club, flyweight Matthew Edmunds, from St Joseph's ABC, plus lightweight Jamie Arthur and heavyweight Lee Misljen, both from Coed Eva ABC.

At the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998, Kevin Evans won bronze in the heavyweight 91 kgs division, and, while Evans is boxing this time around as a super heavyweight, his teammates are desperate to finish amongst the medals in Manchester. And the brightest Welsh medal prospect is Tony Doherty.

He has a fierce record, with 62 wins from 65 fights in his amateur career, and took silver for Wales in the Four Nations Championships, held in Ireland this year.

With an obvious enthusiasm for what will be the biggest British sporting event so far this century, Doherty believes his prospects of taking gold are realistic.

He said: "I'm really looking forward to being part of the whole occasion and, when I get in the ring, I'll be focusing on winning the gold medal."

While Doherty is a seasoned performer, the youngest member of the squad, 18-year old Matthew Edmunds, is gearing up for his first major championships.

The former Lliswerry High School student is taking several weeks unpaid leave from his job as a window fabricator with White Brothers and Speed building company to compete. Like all the competitors for Manchester, Edmunds is stepping-up his training - a tough thing to do considering he has to fit in around his 7-4.30pm job.

He said: "I am going there in my own mind to win a medal, but as one of the youngest boxers competing, it'll all be invaluable experience."

While Edmunds is looking at Manchester as a stepping stone to success at the 2006 Games in Melbourne, lightweight Jamie Arthur is going to Manchester with a slightly different agenda.

Like Doherty, Arthur is hoping to catch a few eyes during the preliminary rounds in the Wythenshawe Forum in Manchester plus in the finals at the Manchester Evening News Arena - the 22-year-old is keen to turn professional and join the current crop of Gwent boxers moving up the world ladder.

He said: "It's a good chance for me to get noticed by the promoters, every fight is important to me.

"If I get all my preparation right, I'm hoping to come away with a medal." But while Doherty and Arthur are looking to use Manchester as a possible chance to showcase their talents, the fourth Gwent boxer has no such aspirations.

Twenty-six-year-old Lee Misljen is quite happy in his job as business manager for Volkswagen in Cardiff and, with 17 wins in his 21 fights, he wants to stay as an amateur and have the chance to book his place at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

Whatever the outcome, all four will be well guided by the experience of Wales manager Roy Chambers, a coach at St Joesph's gym in Newport.

Manchester 2002 is the chance for Chambers to enjoy the experience of working at a major games having suffered the disappointment of just missing out on the Sydney Olympics. After all, it's not the winning, but the taking apart.