LISA WHITESIDE can stake a legitimate claim to being Britain’s unluckiest boxer and her run of ill fortune almost continued in her women’s flyweight bout against India’s Pinki Rani at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games yesterday.

The Preston 32-year-old scraped a split decision win to guarantee at least a bronze medal after a performance which appeared to be more dominant than the score suggested and which marked her belated international debut on the big stage.

Despite winning world medals in 2012 and 2014, Whiteside has been largely forced to fight her career in the shadows of Nicola Adams and only the double Olympic champion’s decision to turn professional in 2016 finally afforded Whiteside the big stage she intends to relish.