'A completely different kettle of fish' - Belfast boxer Neil Sinclair looks back on 1994 Commonweath Games gold for Team NI in Canada

Commonwealth Games gold in the ring for Team NI as a 20-year-old during 1994’s Canada tournament remains a moment still magical 32 years on.

He returned home as part of a boxing team celebrating two gold medals - Jim Webb having secured the other – plus silver honours for Martin Renaghan and Mark Winters.

After returning from Canada, ‘Sinky’ went on to win the Irish Elites before turning professional.

He remains one of only four boxers from Northern Ireland – along with Freddie Gilroy, Hugh Russell and Sam Storey – to a win a Londsdale belt outright, the prize awarded to any fighter top in four British title fights in the same weight division and one of which must be a mandatory defence.

The 1994 Commonwealth Games launched Sinclair on the road to glory...but Victoria was not on the original radar.

“It was an honour to be selected, it was my first year, I just became a senior boxer,” said Sinclair, with this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow offering Team NI another chance to build on the rich medal haul. “I was training with Gerry Storey in the Holy Family Boxing Club, I won the Ulster Seniors in the Ulster Hall...a few months later I got picked to represent Northern Ireland at the Commonwealth Games.

"It was a very proud moment to learn that...I'd been to the States a few times, the year before that I'd travelled to Philadelphia to box...I'd travelled a bit, I'd boxed in tournaments - but this was the first multi-sport event, it was a completely different kettle of fish.

“When you got to the Commonwealth Games, the village was something I'd never experienced before...or since, to be honest.”

Sinclair breezed through to the gold medal fight, stopping every one of his opponents on the way.

“I stopped the Scottish guy (Alan Wolecki), the Welsh guy (Carl Thomas), the Australian (Richard Rowles) in the semi-finals, I had my work cut out for me in the final against Eromosele Albert from Nigeria.

“He was tough but we’d computer scoring back then...I had a big lead going into the third round, I would say he won the third round but I had enough points at that stage in the bag.

“Once my arm went up that was the first I knew that I was a Commonwealth Games gold medallist...I was delighted.

“It 25-16, it was big, I think he maybe thought he'd won it, we were told what the points were after the first round and the second round...I was going ‘I'll just have to stand my feet here and I’ll win on points’ and I did.

"It tired me a bit but it was great to get my hand raised at the end.

“It was surreal, it was amazing, one of the proudest moments of my life (on the podium)...equally as proud was when we were walking into the stadium in the opening ceremony, doing the lap.

“No family or friends there but watching all the footage from back home on tv and listening on the radio, so they were well-informed and I was phoning back to my family.”

Team NI left the ring in Victoria with two gold and two silver medals.

“It was just great, we were all winners whether we got the medal or not...we represented the country,” said Sinclair. “It was a great team spirit, there was a lot of camaraderie...we all supported each other, it was fantastic.”

Boxing is Team NI’s most successful sport at the Commonwealth Games.

“Northern Ireland has just got some great boxing clubs and facilities, the club that I coach for – Monkstown Boxing Club – the facilities are great, we've got a few prospects coming up,” he said. “Another club, the Holy Family, that I boxed for is fantastic, we have some of the best amateur boxing clubs in the world.”

Sinclair had some unfinished business coming back from Canada before going into the paid ranks.

“I didn't want to turn pro before I won the Irish Elites, it was the Irish Seniors back then...I was stubborn,” he said. “I was beat by a point that year of the Commonwealth Games in the Irish Elites...come the following February I drew Neil Gough in the final again.

“I was wondering if I'd made the right decision because it was going to be another tough fight, but I performed above and beyond my ability...I won the fight, won the ‘Best Boxer’ award.

“I just said ‘that's it, it can't get any better than this’...the Olympics would have been 18 months away but I wanted to turn pro.”

Sinclair admits he found it hard to adjust across the pro ranks until he beat Harry Dhami for the British title in Glasgow.

“Up to that point, it was a bit of an up-and-down career, if I'm honest,” said Sinclair. “The period where I was British champion and defending the Lonsdale belt...my peak years, the most proud and consistent as a professional boxer.

"When I won the Lonsdale belt outright, I had something to show for my pro career, I had something to show for my amateur career in the Commonwealth gold...I just sort of lost a wee bit of interest after that but I was delighted and proud to win both.”