Hammond made the Australian Commonwealth Games team.

In a unanimous decision he won his trial fight against the best fighters in the state on February 6 and 7 in Sydney.

In the semi final he won a 19 to two point score in the 69kg welter weight division.

He beat opponent Josh Diab from the Kostya Tszyu Boxing Academy in three three-minute rounds.

Hammond will represent NSW at the National trials on March 18 to 22 in Freemantle, WA. He will fight for his place at the Games in Delhi in October.

It will be a round robin tournament.

Hammond is feeling confident that he can win.

“I feel good, fit and sharp,” he said.

Head AIS boxing coach Don Abnett saw his performance at the NSW trials and immediately invited him to train at the Australian Institute of Sport.

Hammond will move to Canberra this week on a scholarship with AIS to prepare for the National Trials.

Cheetham said training a boxer of Hammond’s calibre was an amazing opportunity. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity when a boxer like Cameron comes along.” He said he was sad to see him go, but Hammond would get top level training at AIS. “It would be selfish of me to keep him here,” Cheetham said.