European Women’s Championships – DRAW

Michaela Walsh gets Ireland’s European Elite Women’s Championships campaign underway versus England this afternoon in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The Belfast feather meets Karriss Artingstal of the Royal Air Force in the Round of 32 shortly after 4:00pm (Irish Time) today and the bout can be watched on the live stream below.

Should Walsh win, she will face Italian Alessia Mesiano in the Last 16 on Friday afternoon.

It’s a quick return to the ring for Walsh who won Commonwealth silver in Australia in April and the Monkstown fighter will be looking to continue a good run which has also seen her claim EU bantamweight gold.

Both women should be in the ring shortly after 4pm (Irish time) today.

Kelly Harrington and Grainne Walsh are in action in the last 16 on Thursday.

Dublin lightweight Harrington faces Czech fighter Katerina Humlova while Offaly welter Walsh boxes Russian Yaroslava Yakushina who won World Youth gold at middleweight back in 2011 and was also a triple European underage gold medallist.

At senior level, before moving down to welter, Yakushina was a European and World quarter-finalist in 2014.

The top ten in Sofia in the fly, feather, light, welter and middle limits qualify for the 2019 European Games in Belarus..

Ireland have sent a surprisingly small squad of just three fighters to the tournament, the smallest team sent since the 2009 championships.

150 boxers representing 33 nations are registered to compete in Sofia across the ten weights.

European Women’s Elite Championships Sofia, Bulgaria

Tuesday June 5th
Last 32
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Karriss Artingstal (England)

Thursday June 7th
Last 16
60kg Kelly Harrington (Ireland) v Katerina Humlova (Czech Republic)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) v Yaroslava Yakushina (Russia)

Irish squad
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)

Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Head Coach: Zaur Antia
Coach: Dmitry Dmitruk
Physio: Muireann Harte