Mark BoggisWITH his sights still set on a shot at the 2012 Olympics, Anthony Ogogo has been limbering up for his next bout with sparring sessions in Sheffield with WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch.Mark Boggis

WITH his sights still set on a shot at the 2012 Olympics, Anthony Ogogo has been limbering up for his next bout with sparring sessions in Sheffield with WBC super-middleweight champion Carl Froch.

After two recent victories against an opponent from the navy and at Ely at the weekend in the senior ABA championships, Ogogo is preparing for the quarter finals of the national competition next month.

And as 21-year-old Ogogo continues to receive the 'best of everything' as he spends four days a week with the Podium Squad at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield, he has been helping Froch's efforts to lift the professional Super Six super-middleweight tournament as he is set to defend his title against Mikkel Kessler in Copenhagen on April 17.

One week earlier, Ogogo will be hoping for major support locally as he fights on the east coast for the first time in four years.

The senior ABA quarter finals will be held at the Ocean Rooms in Gorleston on April 10, courtesy of Kingfisher ABC, and Ogogo will collide with the southern counties champion in the 75kg category.

Also on the bill, Ogogo's clubmate from Triple A, Henry Bacon, will compete in the 81kg light heavyweight category And club coach John Cremin told The Journal: 'Both lads have a really good chance this year and things are definitely going in the right direction - so hopefully we'll have two winners go forward to the semi finals in Kings Lynn at the end of next month.'

Admitting that Ogogo has been doing 'really well' with the Podium Squad, during sessions with top trainer and BABA performance director Rob McCracken, Cremin added: 'Anthony handled himself really well during two five round sparring sessions with Froch as he took his best shots and responded with some huge punches of his own. You can't get better than to spar with the number one super middleweight in the world and this has helped Anthony as everything looks rosy.'

Speaking from his Sheffield base exclusively to The Journal yesterday, Ogogo admitted things were going 'really well' and he wasn't daunted by going toe-to-toe with Froch.

'For the past couple of weeks Carl Froch has been preparing for his world title defence and things went really well as I sparred with him,' he said. He is probably pound for pound one of the biggest boxers in professional boxing currently with his record, and he's also one of the hardest punchers.

'He was so strong, I was hitting him with some full blooded shots and it didn't seem to affect him, but he also went all out with shots of his own as he landed some really hard punches - but I took them all really well.'

Admitting he was 'enjoying' being back on the national ladder once more after last season's injury, Ogogo revealed that the 21-man squad have three 'quality' sessions a day in what are 'short and sharp, intense' bursts.

'Things are going really well in Sheffield, but at the same time I now have all eyes on the quarter final of the ABAs on April 10,' he said. I've not boxed locally since the Lowestoft show for Young England versus France in 2006, and so with this fight in Yarmouth I'm hoping all my local followers and supporters are there to roar me on.'

Ogogo this week praised the support of sponsors Nirvana for the use of their facilities in Lowestoft for the past few years, and he called on local followers to book tickets - which cost �12 - for the Yarmouth show by telephoning him on 07724 798 808.