Bermuda has a new boxing star in the form of Nikki Bascome.

The 19-year-old welterweight will return to the Island tonight with a gold medal around his neck after winning his division at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in Columbus, Ohio.

Last year Bascome won the silver – on Sunday he went one better.

But he still has to appreciate what he has done.

"It has not hit me yet," said Bascome who left Bermuda to attend a training camp in Florida for a couple of weeks before travelling to the Schwarzenegger Classic.

Bascome fought a fighter from Chicago and then a home-town boxer from Ohio to win his gold medal.

"I beat him on points," said Bascome of his final fight. "Neither fighter stood toe to toe with me – they were running."

Bascome said he had trained hard for the Classic with Allan (Forty) Rego and Quinn Mallory.

"I trained so hard for this but when I fought it went by so fast. I have been training with Mallory in the mornings – he also trains me mentally as well. And then I train with Rego in the evening."

Bascome travelled to the training camp in Florida with Rego and then Mallory met the two in Ohio.

Looking to the future Bascome said: "My main thing is the Olympics (in 2012). I want to go but it is going to take a lot. I will have to travel a lot for training camps (and fights)."

But he grateful to his backers. "I have good sponsors in Bermuda – people from the International Sports Shop, Cellular One, the Pro Shop, Arm Landscaping. They have been nice to me and I can't let them down."

After returning this evening on the flight from Miami, Bascome wants to relax for a bit – but then it is back to training. "I am supposed to go to Florida later this month for a Golden Gloves (tournament)," he added.

Trainer Rego said last night: "I am proud of him. Nikki is coming along but he has a ways to go – he is learning. In the short while he has (been fighting) he has come a ways. If he keeps on applying himself I think he will do well. It all depends on how much we can get out of him. I think we made the right decision to come here to Florida (for the training camp). I had him sparring with Christy Martin and she wants him to come back for the Golden Gloves."

Junior welterweight Christy Martin is from Orlando, Florida and was probably the best-known female boxer in the world in the late 1990's. Her contract with promoter Don King introduced millions of pay-per-view viewers to the sight of her knocking out (mostly over-matched) opponents on the undercards of promotions featuring Mike Tyson.

Rego said: "Nikki's first fight was tougher than the one for the gold."

And the trainer wants to get Bascome back to Florida. "It is nice training down here. You can concentrate – there are no distractions – it is just boxing and boxing."

Bermuda also had two martial artists at the Classic – one who won the silver and another who won the gold.

Reyel Bowen and Jermal Woolridge are both Sanshou fighters.

Bascome said: "Reyel won the silver and Jermal won the gold by default. The other guy (in the final) had heard about him and wanted no part of him."