A TEENAGE boxing star from Rosyth has crowned a memorable 2022 by being named as Young Athlete of the Year at the Scottish Sports Awards.

Niamh Mitchell, 16, was presented with the prestigious honour at the annual event last Wednesday, in recognition of her European title success in October.

The Dunfermline High School pupil represented Scotland at the EUBC (European Boxing Confederation) European Junior Championships in Italy, competing in the 52kg light bantamweight category.

Wins over Ireland's Carlagh Mullarney, Hungary's Sara Nyogeri and England's Keira Rose Bowden took her into the final against Cyprus' two-time European champion, Laila Abdullatif, who was unbeaten on the international stage.

READ MORE: Boxing glory is 'surreal' for European champ Niamh

In what tournament organisers went on to describe as a "sensation", the West Fifer claimed a stunning win by unanimous decision, which placed her in the record books.

Niamh became the first female boxer to win gold for Scotland at a major international competition, and only the second Scot to do so at the European Junior Boxing Championships.

The Bowhill Miners Boxing Club member, who only took up the sport three-and-a-half years ago, having previously competed in kickboxing, is only the seventh Scot - male or female - to become a European champion.

At the awards, Niamh was shortlisted for Young Athlete of the Year alongside swimmers Toni Shaw and Katie Shanahan, who were Commonwealth Games, bronze medal winners in the S9 100 metres freestyle and 400m medley, and 200m backstroke, respectively, and freestyle skier, Kirsty Muir.

After picking up the Sir Peter Heatly Trophy, Niamh said: "What a night to say the least.

"Getting the opportunity to get to go to an event like this was unbelievable.

"Thank you to my coaches for getting me where I am."

Another West Fife star, Sarah Jane Ewing, was also amongst the nominees at the Team Scotland and sportscotland- hosted awards, which took place in Edinburgh last Wednesday evening.

The lawn bowls star, who is a member of both Headwell and Abbeyview, was shortlisted in the 'Team of the Year' category in recognition of winning Commonwealth Games gold.

In her role as a director for bowler, Robert Barr, Sarah Jane was successful in the para bowls mixed pairs B2/B3 classification, alongside Melanie Innes and her director, George Miller.

The quartet were nominated alongside fellow para lawn bowlers Garry Brown and Kevin Wallace, who won men's B6-B8 pairs gold, and Rosemary Lenton and Pauline Wilson, who triumphed in the B6-B8 women's pairs; divers James Heatly and Grace Reid, who won mixed 3m synchro gold at the Commonwealth Games; squash pair Greg Lobban and Rory Stewart, who won men's doubles bronze; and Eve Muirhead OBE, Jennifer Dodds MBE, Mili Smith MBE, Hailey Duff MBE and Vicky Drummond (nee Wright) MBE, who won women's curling gold at this year's Winter Games in Beijing.

The Team GB Olympic Women's Curling Team picked up the award, whilst Coach of the Year - a category in which Boxing Scotland's performance director and joint national coach, Craig McEvoy, a former Dunfermline High pupil, was nominated for - went to David Murdoch MBE, having guided Scottish pairs to the Mixed Doubles World title in 2021 and 2022; Scotland’s men and women to gold at the European Championships; and overseeing Team GB’s greatest ever Olympic curling success at Beijing 2022 as the women won gold and the men silver.

Other stars to be feted were Laura Muir, who was named Female Athlete of the Year; Jake Wightman, who was named Male Athlete of the Year; and Eilish McColgan, who won the Scottish Sporting Moment of the Year following a public poll by Team Scotland/sportscotland.