Taha Ahmad (boxing) relished the experience of his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham despite losing in the round of 16 as one of the youngest boxers in the 21-man 71kg (light-middleweight) field. One of eight children, Taha grew up in the western Sydney suburbs of Punchbowl and Bankstown, leaving school at 14 to take up an electrician trade. He started kickboxing while still at school after being encouraged by his late father who passed away when he was 15 and won two national titles at aged 17 and 18 before switching to boxing. Taha trains at the Akkawy Boxing Club in Sydney under Mick and Al Akkawy, home to boxers such as George Kambosos Jnr. and Sonny Bill Williams.