A RISING star of the boxing world who was educated in Otley has been speaking to students about the debt he owes Sport Relief

Qais Ashfaq, a former Prince Henry’s Grammar School student, already has a silver Commonwealth Games medal to his name and is aiming to qualify for the Rio Olympics.

The 22 year old Team GB bantamweight, currently training at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, has been boxing since he was a child.

He paid a recent visit to The Grammar School at Leeds on behalf of Sport Relief, which has helped him pursue his dream of excelling at the sport.

He said: "I took up boxing at the age of eight and Sport Relief has been supporting me since I was a kid.

"I received several little grants from a young age and it would have been hard to keep going without their help."

Qais' visit to was in recognition of the school's strong support of Sport Relief - in 2014 it was named as one of the charity's top 500 fundraisers.

During a question and answer session physical education A-level students at The Grammar School at Leeds asked him about everything from nutrition to motivation.

Qais said: "The motivation for me is when I have fights coming up; it gives me the extra push.

"Before a match I’ve always been the guy to just have a laugh with the others, we’re there as a team and I box better when I’m relaxed."

Student Hollie Bruce said: "It was great to meet a future Olympian and get an insight into a professional athlete’s life."

Harvey Walker added: "I found it interesting to learn about the sport institute and how it helps out young athletes in their development."