AMID the chaos, Richard Thomas stood like a proud father in the shadows.

Contented at what was unravelling in front of his eyes, sombre at the thought it would be a moment of mesmeric accomplishment that would signal the end of a journey never able to be replicated.

It was a road that took Team Scotland's boxers around the world and back again to prepare them for the fight of their lives, ironically on their own doorstep.

Over a four-year period, Boxing Scotland chairman Thomas witnessed the latest crop of fighters prepare for last summer's Commonwealth Games, where the eyes of the world, not to mention the hopes of a nation, would weigh heavy in their gloves.

It was a pressure that Charlie Flynn, Josh Taylor, Stephen Lavelle and Reece McFadden pummelled away with as much force and fervour as every swing, jab and bop which landed Team Scotland the four medals to lift a nation from their seats.

"The moment is tinged by sadness because you know you are never going to have it again with that team," said Thomas, the Boxing Scotland chairman of the moment the class of 2014 came of age at Glasgow's Hydro last summer.

"A home Commonwealth Games is always going to be two things. It's a fantastic opportunity to showcase your sport and it's an opportunity to create heroes.

"In boxing that happens. Even in the Village a lot of the other athletes were in awe of our guys because they are entering real combat. They are coming back and getting their eyes stitched and glued to go back out.

"Charlie Flynn, Josh Taylor, Reece McFadden, Steven Lavelle, these are true working-class heroes."

It is a legacy Thomas hopes not only lives on in the next generation but can inspire them.

In Glasgow last year, the achievement of four medals surpassed all expectations and the initial aim of just three, no matter what colour.

To have two golds in their quartet even goes beyond Boxing Scotland's chairman's wildest dreams.

He said: "There is an expectation that you are going to deliver medals.

"People talk about the home game advantage, but for us, when we saw the draw of who our boxers would be up against, we were heartbroken.

"You look at Reece, who was drawn against Andrew Selby. Here's an apprentice joiner who boxes out of a wooden cabin in Motherwell fighting the world No.1 and winning.

"The national coach phoned me to tell me the draw when it was made and said it was a disaster, because, of course, we have a medal target. I knew we had to come up with something and be positive so their heads don't go down. As it turned out, none of them cared. That set the tone for performances.

"Hopefully the Games will be a catalyst for growth, both in number and credibility."

The journey may be over for Flynn & Co, with many of them moving on to the professional ranks, but they leave behind them the pathway for others to follow in their footsteps ... all the way to the Gold Coast.

The Australian city will host the next Commonwealth Games in 2018, and the preparation for it at Boxing Scotland is already under way.

Thomas has exclusively revealed to SportTimes that the organisation has set the bar high in what it expects from its new core of athletes, with five medals their target in Queensland.

While it will take hard work to make it achievable, it will also take a great deal of funding and investment to secure the future of Scottish boxing.

It is something which, again, Thomas is hopeful the legacy of Glasgow 2014 can play a part in.

"It's a journey," he explained. " I've spent a lot of time with that team and I have a good relationship with them.

"I actually thought more of the boys would turn professional than what did.

"My job is to look to the Youth Games in Samoa and the Games in the Gold Coast.

"That is where we are now, and we're looking to see what investment is needed to help us meet our medal target.

"I think we will look for a five-medal target. That would be a massive thing, but it's a target. If you don't set the bar high, what are you going to do? It may cost me my chairmanship, but I'm willing to be ambitious.

"We are a tiny nation, but I definitely think there is a chance for boxing in Scotland again."

Thomas added: "Investment goes on medals gained and medal potential. Sport Scotland and the investors look at the medals they've won and their potential to win more, how well your organisation is run and the opportunities we have in growth across the board.

"Boxing clubs offer a fantastic service to the communities they serve. Boxing is not a cure for all the world's ills, but if it can give kids something to attach themselves to, it is a great thing."

Yesterday ... Glasgow.

Tomorrow ... the Gold Coast.

The day after ... the world.