Kelly Harrington kicks off Ireland’s World Championships with wide win

Kelly Harrington has got Ireland off to a winning start at the World Women’s Elite Championships in New Delhi.

The Dublin lightweight was in action in the Indian capital on Day 2 of the Championships, looking to kick off a medal hunt and hoping to go one better than the last tournament where she burst into the public consciousness with a sensational light welter silver.

Today, in the Round of 32, she faced New Zealand’s Troy Garton, a Commonwealth bronze medallist, and scored a clear unanimous decision win without having to really get out of third gear.

The EU silver and European bronze medallist landed the better quality shots in a rather scrappy opener.

Harrington stepped up in the second, landing nice long shots and tieing up Garton whenever the Kiwi slugger got through.

The St Mary’s 28-year-old went southpaw in the third, again having success with straight shots early on before electing to fight inside in the closing 30.

Going to the cards, Harrington was declared a wide winner, with scorelines of 30-27 x2 and 30-26 x3 and she will now go on to face Indian veteran Sarita Devi..

The 36-year-old former flyweight is a three-time World Championships medallist (one gold, two bronze), seven-time Asian medallist (five gold, one silver, one bronze), Commonwealth silver medallist, and Asian Games bronze medallist.

This fight with the home favourite will take place on Sunday afternoon.

Before then, four Irish boxers are in action tomorrow.

Cavan flyweight Ceire Smith will face Bulgarian European and EU bronze medallist Gabriela Dimitrova, Belfast feather Michaela Walsh will box Romanian veteran Lacramiora Perijoc, Dundalk light welter Amy Broadhurst faces Russian European bronze medallist and fellow former underage star Ekaterina Dynnik, and Roscommon middleweight Aoife O’Rourke boxes Taiwan’s Yang Ya Chu.

Receiving a bye to the Last 16, Offaly welter Grainne Walsh is in action on Sunday alongside Harrington where she will face Frenchwoman Emile Sonvico or double Panamerica gold medallist Noella Perez of Argentina.

AIBA WORLD WOMEN’S ELITE CHAMPIONSHIPS
November 16th
Last 32
60kg Kelly Harrington (Ireland) v Troy Garton (New Zealand)

November 17th
Last 32
51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) v Gabriela Dimitrova (Bulgaria)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Lacramiora Perijoc (Romania)
64kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) v Ekaterina Dynnik (Russia)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) v Yang Ya Chu (Taiwan)

November 18th
Last 16
60kg Kelly Harrington (Ireland) v Sarita Devi (India)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) v Emile Sonvico (France) or Noella Perez (Argentina)

Irish squad
51kg Ceire Smith (Virginia)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown)
60kg Kelly Harrington (St Mary’s)
64kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
69kh Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)

Team manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia & Dmitry Dimitruk
Physio: Muireann Harte

Photo Credit: Ricardo Guglielminotti – The Fighting Irish (ThefIris)