Classy Conlan admits he had doubts before Commonwealth Games

MICHAEL Conlan appeared to be brimming with confidence when he pointed out it was gold or nothing throughout the Commonwealth Games.

However, after picking up the only medal he felt worthy of his mantle piece, on Saturday he admitted he was riddled with self-doubt weeks before the Games because of fitness concerns.

Conlan, who was one of the stand out performers in Glasgow, claims injury hampered his preparation and he worried that his performances come competition time might also be hampered.

“I have only trained for this competition for two weeks,” he said. “I was out injured and only had seven spars in total.

“To come and do a job like this is phenomenal. To pick up two injuries in the competition as well and still win, I feel very proud of myself.

“Honestly, I can’t believe what I came through. Two weeks before the competition, I was doubting myself. I was sparring an Australian kid and I should have been destroying him but it was close. I felt very nervous, but as soon as I got in the village and settled, I knew no-one was beating me.”

The St John Bosco man, who suffered head clash cuts in both his opening contest and his semi final wins, also shared his views on his final victory over England’s Qais Ashfaq.

Conlan added: “I thought I won the first round but I heard I lost it so I knew I had to change my tactics and push him back a bit more. It worked for me in the end. He’s a talented boxer but I knew I had the heart and drive to beat him.”