Team Ireland hoping to make London a pit stop for Tokyo

Team Ireland leave for London tomorrow ahead of the European qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.

Boxing begins at the Copper Box Arena on Saturday. 50 Olympic places for men and 27 for women will be on the line in the English capital.

The draw for the third edition of the Continental qualifiers – which will feature over 40 nations and over 300 athletes – will be made on Friday afternoon.

Male flyweights and featherweights get the first shot at booking tickets for the 32nd Olympiad on St Patrick’s eve as the last 16 bouts in the 52kg and 57kg classes are scheduled for next Monday, March 16.

The Asia/Oceania qualifiers are almost complete in Amman, Jordan this week just over a week after the African qualifiers in Dakar, Senegal.

The Europen and the Americas events complete the Continental qualification process ahead of the final World qualifier in Paris in May.

Boxing Schedule London

European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020

Copperbox Arena London March 13/24

Irish squad

Male

52kg – Flyweight – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim)

57kg – Featherweight – Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim)

63kg – Light-welterweight – George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin)

69kg – Welterweight – Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)

75kg – Middleweight – Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois)

81kg – Light-heavyweight – Emmett Brennan (Dublin Docklands)

91kg – Heavyweight – Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin)

91+kg – Super-heavyweight – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary)

Female

51kg – Flyweight- Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast)

57kg – Featherweight – Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)

60kg – Lightweight – Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin)

69kg – Welterweight – Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork)

75kg – Middleweight – Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon)