A SPORTING champion with a Central Fife boxing club has been nominated for an award in a prestigious national prizegiving ceremony.

Niamh Mitchell, who is a member of Bowhill Miners Boxing Club, will rub shoulders with some of the country's top sports stars next month at the Scottish Sports Awards 2022.

The glamour evening, which will take place in Edinburgh, is hosted by sportscotland and Team Scotland, and will celebrate Scottish success from the last year across 12 award categories.

Dunfermline High School pupil Niamh, 16, entered her name into the history books last month when she claimed a stunning gold medal at the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC) European Championships in Italy.

The talented teenager, competing in the 52kg light bantamweight category, got the better of Ireland's Carlagh Mullarney, Hungary's Sara Nyogeri and England's Keira Rose Bowden on her way to the final.

In what tournament organisers described as a "sensation", Niamh upset the favourite – a two-time European champion who had been unbeaten on the international stage – Laila Abdullatif, of Cyprus, to become the first female boxer to win gold for Scotland at a major competition.

Niamh, who took up the sport three-and-a-half years ago, having previously competed in kickboxing, is also only the second Scot to do so at the European Junior Boxing Championships, and just the seventh, both male and female, in history to become a European champion at any level.

Niamh has been shortlisted in the 'Young Athlete of the Year' category, alongside swimmers Toni Shaw and Katie Shanahan, S9 100 metres freestyle bronze and 400m medley, and 200m backstroke, bronze medal winners respectively at the Commonwealth Games, and freestyle skier, Kirsty Muir.

"It's mental what achievements she's had over the last three months," Niamh's proud dad, Stewart, said.

"We never had any idea (about her nomination). We got an email, and were like, wow. She's back to being buzzing again!

"She's quite down to earth and neither up or down. She's been straight back to training.

"Seeing her alongside top sports personalities is a bit surreal."

In addition, Craig McEvoy, Boxing Scotland's performance director and joint national coach who worked with Niamh as she fought her way to gold, has been nominated for Coach of the Year.

Some of the stars who have been shortlisted in other categories include athletes Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir, in the Female Athlete of the Year prize, and fellow runner, Jake Wightman, and swimmer Duncan Scott MBE, who are up for the Male Athlete of the Year accolade.

The event, at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, takes place on December 7.