Scots woman makes history in boxing ring

• Points to make: Louise Mitchell swings for Scotland, but her Welsh opponent proved too tough. Photograph: Ian Rutherford

Despite a braveheart, never-say-die performance, the 26-year-old from Holyrood Amateur Boxing Club could not match the experience of her opponent representing Wales, Charlene Jones, and lost on points after three thrilling rounds.

"It looks like I've made history," said Mitchell, "but I wish I had won. That's the way it goes in boxing and I will be carrying on and hoping to fight for Scotland again."

Mitchell was cheered from first to last by the crowd of about 600 in Meadowbank Sports Centre, even after the result was announced that Jones had won 12-4 under amateur boxing's computerised scoring system.

Earlier, Mitchell had entered the ring with the other 29 boxers in the first unisex Home International contest to be held in Scotland.

The only concession to her gender was that she did not have to wear a kilt, which will no doubt be a boon to trivia quiz setters - who was the only Scot not wearing a "skirt" when they lined up to fight Wales?

Though Mitchell, who works as a chef at Standard Life in Edinburgh, had a large contingent of supporters, there were some in the audience who were apprehensive on her behalf.

Scottish boxing great Ken Buchanan, 65, the former world professional lightweight champion, expressed his views about women's boxing in forthright manner. "I don't abide with it at all," he said. "I'm sorry, but if women were meant to fight they wouldn't have a 'chest', if you know what I mean. Years ago they said to women that if you get a bump on your chest you might get cancer, so why do they let women hit each other?"

Before Mitchell and Jones made their entries into the ring, announcements of the historic nature of the contest were conspicuous by their absence.

Officials of Amateur Boxing Scotland, the sport's governing body, had decreed that their new internationalist would receive the same treatment as the rest of the team, and with her slim build and muscular shoulders, it was difficult to pick out Mitchell from her colleagues, apart from her ponytail. The young Scottish boys and youths who fought before Mitchell did their nation proud, the 14 to 16-year-old boxers from as far apart as Greenock and Kelty in Fife putting Scotland 7-3 ahead in the match against their Celtic cousins.

Mitchell faced a tough task against an opponent who is the Welsh champion at a higher weight division and has had nearly twice the number of fights.

"I had to give up the Christmas pud to get down to lightweight," said Jones, winner of seven of her 11 contests.Mitchell, by contrast had won two of her six fights spread over nearly five years, the latest of them in April last year.

The pair charged forward aggressively and swapped punches from the outset. Jones was shorter and chunkier but more accurate with her punches, while Mitchell showed signs of ring rustiness and inexperience. Mitchell stalked her opponent, but in the third and final round in particular took some punishment, which made the score look slightly lop-sided.

Despite a bloody nose, Mitchell kept going forward to the final bell, and fully deserved the ovation for her courage.

"It's been a good experience for me," she said. "I'm still classed as a novice and she was tough and more experienced than me, but I'll learn from it.

"I'll be back at work on Monday, then maybe I'll take some time off, but I will definitely be training hard for the Scottish championships in February.

"A Scottish women's team has been started, but England are well ahead of us as they have women who have had 35 fights while the most any Scottish woman has had is 22. We just need experience and we'll do better."

Her Holyrood ABC coach Bradley Welsh said: "There is a shortage of sparring for women in Scotland and that's why there is a disparity between us and the rest of the home nations at the moment.

"But Louise gave a good account of herself and she'll go on from this.

Amateur Boxing Scotland chairman Richard Thomas said: "Louise did fantastically well and it was evenly contested. I know there are people who don't like women's boxing, but they don't have to watch it. In any case, with modern practices, it's safer than other sports women play.

"Women's boxing is in the Olympics in London next year, and we want to get more Scottish women involved in the sport. It's all part of our Bring Back Boxing campaign, which is doing a terrific job in getting youngsters off the streets and into a healthy, disciplined sport."