Portsmouth boxer ready to begin history-making World Championship charge

And the Heart of Portsmouth ace has vowed he’s ready for his history-making bid for success in Russia.

Adenas will become the first boxer from Portsmouth and the only boxer ever from his native Sudan to compete on the world stage.

The 23-year-old has been matched with Moroccan Amroug Zine Elabidine after the draw was made for the competition on Monday.

Victory there would see him given the huge task of overcoming Dominican Republic’s fifth seed Rohan Polanco in the second round next Monday.

It’s an against-all-odds quest for Adenas, who’d never laced gloves until arriving in England from his war-torn homeland eight years ago.

The Southsea boxer went on to pick up a novice title – at the England Boxing Development Championships - in 2014 but his latest assignment is a leap into the stratosphere compared even to his previous success.

His coach, Q Shillingford, believes it’s a challenge he will meet head on, however.

Shillingford said: ‘Ahmed is ready.

‘He knows these are the best boxers in the world but that doesn’t faze him at all.

‘He knows who they are but he believes he has what it takes to beat them.

‘The thing about him is he is relentless. He will just keep coming for you and throwing punches all day long.

‘And the big thing he has in his favour is he possesses “the equaliser”.

‘He has one-punch knockout power. He can be behind on the cards but if one of his punches lands clean it’s over.’

Adenas and his coach have now settled into their base in Yekaterinburg ahead of his welterweight campaign.

And the boxer’s involvement is a source of immense pride to them both.

That’s deepened by the courage he’s shown to escape atrocities seen in Sudan to begin a new life in the city.

Shillingford said: ‘We’re all so pleased with what Ahmed is doing.

‘He’s not had it easy but shows such a positive attitude - and that’s what he wants to focus on.

‘He’s come to Portsmouth, a city of refuge, and achieved great things.

‘Now he’s ready to show the world what he can do.’