Aidan Walsh ready to celebrate Commonwealth gold with chinese

Aidan Walsh cannot wait to get back to his caravan for a Chinese takeaway and a can of coke to celebrate his Commonwealth Games boxing gold.

The Olympic bronze medallist upgraded his Gold Coast silver with a unanimous points win over Mozambique’s Tiago Osorio Muxanga on Sunday.

Despite being chuffed to win, Walsh admitted he is more concerned with being a good person with strong values as medals don’t define him.

The 25-year-old said: “The medal doesn’t define who you are as a person. I want to be a good person and if it inspires people coming through, that’s great.

“Anybody can win fights but not everyone can be a good person, that’s what means the most to me.

“I’ve come in with no pressure on me, listened to what the coaches have told me to do and stuck by it.

“To be able to look up at my family and coaches and know they’re proud, I’m happy.

“Who knows what the next few months hold. I’ll do a bit of fishing this week and think about it while I’m out there doing that. I’ll go to my caravan, nice Chinese, and a can of coke, I’m happy as Larry.”

This summer, Team Northern Ireland, supported by funding raised by National Lottery players, will compromise of over 100 athletes, all vying for medal success.

Light middleweight Walsh has barely fought since breaking one ankle and tearing ligaments in the other when celebrating his quarter-final triumph at Tokyo 2020.

He was consigned to bronze after pulling out of his semi-final with Great Britain’s Pat McCormack and admitted it has been a tough path to the top of the podium in and out of the ring in Birmingham.

A freak of the draw pitted him against England’s European champion Harris Akbar in the quarter-final, before facing the man who lost to him in Armenia, Wales’ Garan Croft who called him a “nightmare” after losing out to his awkward evasive style.

The number of good shots that have caught Walsh at these Games can be counted on one hand and he knocked down Muxanga in the first round on his way to winning the opening two of the final.

The Mozambique fighter showed his power and grit in the last to nick it, but the job was already done for the Belfast banger.

“From the Olympics, I hadn’t done much so it’s good to be back to winning ways. I fought the best throughout the tournament and did all right, thankfully,” said Walsh, who refused to be drawn on whether he would fight at Paris 2024 after such a bizarre finish to his tilt at Tokyo glory.

“The guys I’ve fought, one was European champion, one was European silver medallist – you want to face the best to test your skills. I’m thankful I’m able to do that.

“I don’t know about Paris. I’ll take it as it comes. I don’t like looking too far ahead. I just want to enjoy this moment and if the Olympics is there, it’s there, and if it’s not, it’s not.

“It’s nice to win but I love the simple things in life, spending time with my girlfriend and family outside of sport.

“I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I don’t gamble or party. I have talent, of course, but I believe what got me here is my dedication and my coach’s dedication in me.”

Walsh was delighted to see his sister Michaela, 29, join him in winning gold after being inspired by her as youngster.

The elder Walsh sibling finally won the Commonwealth title at the third attempt having finished with silver in 2018 and at Glasgow 2014.

He explained: “As long as Michaela’s happy, enjoying boxing and confident in herself, you can’t complain.”

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