The 69-year-old has spent 10 years as a full-time coach with Britain's team and also played a pivotal role in the development of World Championship medallists Frankie Gavin and Bradley Saunders at the English Institute of Sport (EIS) in Sheffield.

As Head of Development since 2006, Davidson also nurtured the early careers of many the squad that hope to represent Britain at the 2012 Olympics in London.

Davidson was coach when Khalid Yafai and Antony Ogogo won gold and Obed Mbwakongo took silver at the World Cadet Championships in 2005 and he worked closely with three-time Amateur Boxing Association of England (ABAE) champion, Tommy Stubbs, Commonwealth Federations champions, Fred Evans and Scott Cardle and Britain’s first European champion for 47 years, Luke Campbell.

GB Boxing’s Performance Director, Rob McCracken said: "In the last 10 years, amateur boxing in Britain has gone through one of its most successful ever periods and a large part of the credit for that lies with the work that Jim and his colleagues have done in identifying and nurturing talent. 

"The fact we have such a depth of talent in today’s squad is a tribute to Jim’s work and the enormous contribution he has made to elite amateur boxing in Great Britain."

Although he has been at three Olympic Games, Davidson, who is from Bow in East London, identified the 2009 World Youth Championships as his proudest moment. 

Davidson said: "The work I did with Martin Ward gives me the most satisfaction.

"We had planned it for over two years and though there we had some setbacks along the way, when the tournament began Martin boxed superbly four times and won the gold convincingly.

"I expect him to be a star of the future."

A talented amateur boxer himself, Davidson’s first contest was as a 13 year-old in 1954. 

He boxed for 13 years and had more than 150 bouts, losing only 12 times. 

His last assignment with Britain's team was at the AIBA World Championships in Azerbaijan earlier this year.

Paul Walmsley will now take responsibility for leading the Development Squad following Jim Davison’s retirement. 

Walmsley has great experience of the development of young boxers through his work as a club coach, at international competition and in his role as a coach working with both Britain's development and podium squads.

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