London 2012 is my destiny - Anthony Ogogo
Last updated on .From the section Boxing
Anthony Ogogo believes it is his destiny to compete at London 2012, a fate he could confirm by qualifying at the Amateur World Championships.
The 22-year-old middleweight would secure his place with a last-eight finish in Azerbaijan.
"Without sounding arrogant or big headed, there's still a long way to go, but it seems like destiny," the Lowestoft boxer told BBC Radio Suffolk.
"I can't really imagine the Olympics without me being there."
Hopes have been high for Ogogo since he won silver at last year's Delhi Commonwealth Games, beating 2009's top amateur middleweight Vijender Singh on the way, albeit through penalty points alone.
But the Suffolk fighter insists a quarter-final bout in Baku is not a foregone conclusion, mainly because the draw is unseeded.
"You could get the world champion and Olympic champion boxing first fight," he explained.
"Guaranteed, the last eight aren't going to be the best eight boxers.
"A lot of people don't realise how hard it is, specifically in boxing, to go and qualify for the Olympic Games.
"A lot of people think that because of my results previously and because it's London, that I'm already there.
"It's a lot tougher than just turning up, you need to get to the last eight of the World Championships, with 64 of the world's best countries going there.
"Getting to the last eight is no mean feat, just going to the World Champs is a massive thing and now it's up to me to go and qualify, destiny's in my hands."
Ogogo already has a Junior Olympic gold to his name, but the prospect of competing on the senior stage has him dizzy with excitement.
"Just hearing it said, it makes the hairs stand up on the back of my neck," he said.
"It's been my dream since I was 12 years old. I came close four years ago, I was on the periphery but never actually there."
