KEIGHLEY boxer Muhammad Ali’s Olympic dream is still alive.

The 18-year-old ring prospect is celebrating his call-up to the nine-man Great Britain squad for next month’s inaugural European Games in Azerbaijan.

Ali, who recently won the national flyweight title in Liverpool, now has a shot at earning a place in the Rio Olympics if he impresses in the Baku tournament.

It represents a welcome u-turn after Ali was initially snubbed for a place in the British podium selection, from which next year’s competitors will be chosen.

Ali’s coach Mike Jelley said: “Ali was absolutely delighted when he got told by (GB performance director) Rob McCracken that they’d decided to send him to the qualifiers.

“It means that all the hard work that he puts in week after week will have an end result. He has got something to train for.

“Ali is over the moon, obviously. It’s a big honour to be selected and he deserves it after winning the ABAs the other week.”

Ali, who trains at Bury amateur Boxing Club, will tune up first in Three-Nations action in Sheffield over May 23-24 against opponents from Scotland and Wales.

He will fly out to Baku on June 8, with the boxing competition expected to start a week later. The multi-sport event runs until June 29.

Jelley added: “Ali’s always been a confident lad and he wants to win a gold medal next year in Rio.

“But sometimes the pressure can get to us. He has done brilliant so far but we won’t put too much expectation on him.

“He’s just got to keep progressing as he has been, do his job right and see what happens.”

Ali is a graduate from Bradford College’s elite boxing programme and has only just stepped up to senior boxing. Last month’s national championships were the first time he had boxed competitively without a head guard.