European U22 Championships – Eight Irish Boxers Shoot for Silver on Thursday
No fewer than eight Team Ireland boxers will vie for medal up-grades at the European Under-22 Championships on Thursday.
Ireland won five of seven quarter-finals in Sofia on a busy Wednesday to increase the team’s medal total to eight.
Martin McDonagh, Bobbi Flood, Patsy Joyce, Clepson dos Santos, Patsy Joyce, and Louis Rooney all had their hand raised and joined Lisa O’Rourke, Robyn Kelly and Carleigh Irving on the podium.
All eight will look to trade in bronze for silver as the contest semi-finals on Thursday.
Oakleaf’s Irving is the first between the ropes, opening the action in Ring A’s Afternoon Session. The Derry 48kg operator boxes for a place in the final against Lilla Szeleczk of Hungary.
In Bout 4 of the same ring and session, 54kg Kelly contests to upgrade against Paris Olympian and reigning European champion, Serbia’s Sara Cirkovic. While in Bout 9 in Ring B’s Afternoon Session Roscommon’s 70kg, Lisa O’Rourke contests her semi-final against Poland’s Barbara Marcinkowska.
In the 51kg division, dos Santos returns to meet Armenia’s Rudolf Garboyan in Bout 2 of Ring A’s Evening Session – while Olympic Mullingar’s Joyce is up in the subsequent bout. The 19-year-old takes on Ukraine’s Dymtro Kolisnichenko in a 54kg semi.
In the last bout of the day in Ring A, 92+kg McDonagh meets Greece’s Stylianos Roulias, an athlete who, like the Galway man, missed out on Paris qualification in Bangkok by a hair’s breadth.
Star Boxing’s 48kg Rooney is first up in Ring B’s Evening Session, and boxes for a place in the finals against Hungary’s Csaba Zsigo. In Bout 8, 71kg Flood meets Paris Olympian, and former World Champion, Yurii ZakharieievI.
Team Ireland
48kg Carleigh Irving, Oakleaf Boxing Club
54kg Robyn Kelly, Ballynacargy Boxing Club
57kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal Boxing Club
63kg Linda Desmond, Rylane Boxing Club
66kg Kaci Rock, Enniskerry Boxing Club
70kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea Boxing Club
75kg Bethany Dooecy, Castlebar Boxing Club
48kg Louis Rooney, Star Boxing Club
51kg Clepson dos Santos, Holy Trinity ABC
54kg Patsy Joyce, Olympic BC Mullingar
57kg Gavin Ryan, Ratoath Golden Gloves Boxing Club
63.5kg Roy Colgan, Avona Boxing Club
67kg Luke Hall, Olympic Boxing Club Mullingar
71kg Bobbi Flood, Cabra Boxing Club
75kg Josh Olaniyan, Jobstown Boxing Club
80kg James Whelan, Dublin Docklands Boxing Club
86kg Kian Hedderman, St. Francis Boxing Club
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Galway Boxing Club
Support Staff
Team Manager: Sean Crowley
Head Coach: Eoin Puck
Coach: Lynne McEnery
Coach: Damian Kennedy
Coach: Jay Delaney
Coach Mentor: Zauri Antia
