A KILBIRNIE boxer has been hailed as "world class" after earning silver at the under 23 European Championships.

Aaron Cullen, who is a member of the Irvine Elite Boxing Club, was one of the athletes who headed to Sofia in Bulgaria with the GB Team for the tournament last month.

The championship featured boxers from 35 different nations, with more than 300 competitors battling it out across different weight divisions.

Just eight Scots made the journey across, with 20-year-old Aaron's silver medal the highest placing from the contingent.

The Garnock Valley man fought in the bantamweight division, starting off his contest with a unanimous decision victory over Nikolas Pawlik from Poland.

He then secured a medal, and place in the semi-finals, two days later when he defeated Spaniard Juan Pantoja Moreno via another unanimous decision.

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His final four bout ended in the same manner, with Aaron earning a place in the final after defeating French fighter Chris Hippocrate.

He then returned a silver medal, after a close final against Irishman Patsy Joyce Thady resulted in his opponent taking the win via a 4-1 split decision.

Following the conclusion of the championship Boxing Scotland performance director, Craig McEvoy, reflected on the superb medal performance of Aaron.

He said: "Aaron Cullen was ‘world class’ throughout the tournament, with excellent victories against strong Polish and Spanish opposition.

"He looked to pressure his opponent in the final, initiating the majority of exchanges and often landing solid attacks, however ended up on the wrong end of the decision.

"Aaron has had a fantastic tournament and can be extremely proud of the silver medal."

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While the Kilbirnie boy vowed to continue to work hard in his bid to be at the top of the podium in the near future.

He said: "Full of highs and lows this boxing life but I have trust in the process. One day you’ll see me on top of that podium I promise you that.

"Time to let fact of what I've accomplished from this tournament set in and see what’s next.

"I would once again like to thank my sponsors Nosh, UAV360, Hynd Construction, ACTIV3 Clothing, Troup Multi Trades, Elevate Car Care, Bella Landscapes, R Stalker and son Butchers and Russell Security and Electrical for their continued support."

(Image: Submitted)Anyone who is interested in sponsoring Aaron is asked to get in touch by emailing aaroncullen2015@icloud.com or on Instagram at _aaron_cullen.