BBC Sport: Olympics blog

Make sure Saturday the 9th of August is marked in your diary. That's when the boxing gets underway in Beijing and Britain's finest will be ready to take on the world.

When Audley Harrison won Olympic gold in Sydney, he was one of only two homegrown fighters to make the trip. Amir Khan ploughed a lone furrow in Athens. Now, as I prepare to meet the eight boxers who will fly the Olympic flag this time around, I am intrigued to see if they really are as good as everyone suggests.

They're certainly in good company in the Fight Art Club on the north side of Macau. Pictures of Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee adorn the walls of the gymnasium, and it quickly becomes clear that these guys are not here for the ride.

Enter James DeGale, high cheekbones, ripped torso, he's itching to get to Beijing. The middleweight considers his Commonwealth bronze from Melbourne a disappointment. He has since beaten the Olympic champion, knocking him down in the process.

Light-welterweight Bradley Saunders also has the scalp of the current Olympic champ. David Price, a towering 6 foot 8 super-heavyweight known as "dynamite" for his devastating right hand, believes he can emulate Harrison's triumph.

And then there's Frankie Gavin. You'll soon be familiar with the name. Britain's first ever amateur world champion, like Khan he's a lightweight, and everyone agrees he's as good as the Athens silver medallist; many believe he's better. The likes of Frank Warren, Mike Tyson's manager Shelley Finkel and Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions have already been on the phone.

So if, as he fully expects to, Gavin wins gold, will he be lured straight into the pro ranks?
"Who knows, it's all about the money isn't it?" he reveals with disarming honesty. Team Leader Terry Edwards isn't remotely surprised at the interest, but he's convinced he can keep Gavin in his amateur ranks. "He can make a million after Beijing, he'll make five million after London," he said.

Edwards is an impressive man. On becoming the boss, he set about putting UK Sport's considerable investment to the best possible use. Full time training, top class coaching, sport psychology and decent money for his charges. This is what he refers to as his "structure".

He's got his fighters fighting, and beating, the best in the world. He has created a winning mentality. In short, he has revolutionized the amateur sport in the UK. No longer considered comparative soft touches, British fighters now instil fear, and it's all been accomplished within two years.

At 18, Billy Joe Saunders (no relation of Bradley) is the joker in the pack. While I delve into my bag for my microphone, he whips down the shorts of a nearby coach with reflexes akin to those he displays in his welterweight fights. The likeable, if mischievous, Billy Joe is also partial to terrorising his team-mates with water balloons. But when he climbs through the ropes, the joking stops. He's already beaten the top Cuban and Russian in his division.

"Everybody in this squad can win a medal," he tells me. He's serious, and this is just the beginning, according to Edwards. "London 2012 will be a magnificent showcase for British boxing," he tells me, barely able to contain his excitement.

"We can eclipse Cuba as the leading boxing nation, but first we have to do the business in Beijing."

A noble art indeed.