Walker and Gardiner into last eight in Sofia
Kurt Walker and Dean Gardiner booked their tickets into the last-eight of the Strandja Memorial Multi Nations in Sofia, Bulgaria today.
But London 2012 Olympian Adam Nolan and Myles Casey bowed out in the Bulgarian capital.
Nolan lost on a unanimous decision (30-27,30-27,30-27) to Madrimoy Israel of Uzbekistan and Casey was beaten (30-27,30-27,29-28) by England’s Jack Bateson, a bronze medal winner at the 2013 European Elite Championships in Belarus.
The Irish squad did not arrive at the venue until one hour before the opening bell today after flight delays and Nolan and Israel were the first bout on the program.
Walker impressed en route a unanimous decision (30-26,30-26,30-27) over Dave Cesar and Gardiner beat (30-27,29-28,29-28) Dan Toborsky in the final bout of Day 1 at the 66th edition of the tournament.
Ceire Smith and Laoise Traynor will be in quarter-final action tomorrow, while Brenda Irvine and Michael O’Reilly are between the ropes in the last-16.
Darren O’Neill received a bye into the quarter-finals and will face Uzbek heavyweight Rustan Tulaganov, who reached the last-eight at the 2013 AIBA World Elite Championships in Kazakhstan, on Thursday.
66th Strandja Memorial Multi-Nations
February 24th Prelims
69kg: Adam Nolan (Ireland) lost to Madrimoy Israel (Uzbekistan) 0-3
52kg: Myles Casey (Ireland) lost to Jack Bateson (England) 0-3
56kg: Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Dave Cesar (Seychelles) 3-0
91+kg: Dean Gardiner (Ireland) beat Dan Toborsky (Czech Rep) 3-0
February 25th (last 16 unless stated)
49kg: Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Artur Ogamesyan (Armenia)
52kg: Ceire Smith (Ireland) v Anakhamm Agayeva (Azerbaijan) (Q/Final)
75kg: Laoise Traynor (Ireland) v Viktorya Kebikave (Belarus) (Q/Final)
75kg: Michael O’Reilly (Ireland v Badri Khardziani (Georgia)
