Anthony Fowler celebrates after a semi-final victory during the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Anthony Fowler has known since April that he would represent Great Britain as the middleweight on the country’s boxing team at the Olympic Games in Rio. However, on Thursday, the entire squad of 10 men and two women was formally announced.

Along with Fowler, the men’s team consists of Joe Joyce (super heavyweight), Lawrence Okolie (heavyweight), Joseph Buatsi (light heavyweight), Josh Kelly (welterweight), Pat McCormack (light welterweight), Joe Cordina (lightweight), Qais Ashfaq (bantamweight), Muhammad Ali (flyweight) and Galal Yafai (light flyweight). The two woman as Savannah Marshall (middleweight) and Nicola Adams (flyweight).

However, Fowler wasn’t always a shoe-in to go to the Olympics. The 2013 World Championship bronze medalist and 2014 Commonwealth games winner had to overcome adversity.

“I had a lot of injuries, I felt everything was against me,” Fowler told RingTV.com. “I was getting cut. Before the European (tournament) in my last (sparring session), I sparred a guy and he had bad gloves, they had no padding and damaged the cartilage in my nose. I couldn’t go to the European or World (amateur championships).

“I had six months of inactivity, I felt everything was going against me. It was very mentally challenging. I had to knuckle down and train hard all over Christmas and New Year but look where I am now, going to the Olympics.”

The experienced middleweight estimates his amateur record to be in the region of 204-16. He is understandably jubilant at appearing at the biggest sporting event in the world.

“It’s a massive honor to represent my country so I’m looking forward to it,” he said proudly. “You get very close to your team mates, you see the highs and lows, you see the graft they put in every week and you live together.

“I’m just very confident. I’m working hard on getting myself in the best physical condition I can.”

The 25-year-old won his Olympic berth by reaching the semi-final of the European qualifier. Along the way he beat Konstantine Khvistani (3:0), Valeri Sirbu (3:0) and Bogdan Juratoni (2:1) before losing to eventual tournament winner Christian Mbilli Assomo (2:1), he then won a box-off against Xhek Paskali (3:0).