Egan gets Ireland off to winning start

Ken Egan got Ireland off to a winning start at the Olympic Test Event in London.

 

 
The Dublin southpaw, who has dropped back down to light-heavyweight from heavyweight, forced China’s Xuan Bao into a standing count with a right hook in the second round of tonight’s quarter-final clash en route to a 13-6 win at the ExCel, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympics.

 

 
He’ll now meet Olympic Youth champion, Damien Hooper of Australia, in the semi-finals.

 

 
Hooper, who is ranked number two in the world, was beaten 6-1 by Ireland’s Joe Ward in the 2010 AIBA World Youth middleweight final in Baku.

 

 
The Australian beat Ward in the 2010 Olympic Youths in Singapore, where Ireland’s Ryan Burnett claimed gold.

 

 
However, Ward broke his left hand in the first round of that clash.
Meanwhile, Declan Geraghty and David Oliver Joyce will be involved in quarter-final duels tomorrow versus Thai flyweight Norapoj Tetchkoom and Italian lightweight Donato Consenza.

 

 
Belfast’s Conrad Cummings and Tommy McCarthy and Con Sheehan have received byes into Saturday’s semi-finals.

 

 
Cummings will meet Brazilian middleweight Esquiva Florentino and McCarthy faces experienced Kazakh heavyweight Vassily Levit.

 

 
Tipperary’s super-heavyweight Sheehan will trade leather with Morocco’s Muhammad Arjaoui for a place in the 91Kg+ final.

 

 
Olympic Test Event ExCel London
Novermber 24th Quarter-finals
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) beat Xuan Bao (China) 13-6

 

 
November 25th Quarter-finals

 

 
51Kg: Declan Geraghty (Ireland) v Norapoj Tetchkoom (Thailand)

 

 
60Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Donato Consenza (Italy)

 

 
November 26th Semi-Finals

 

 
75Kg: Conred Cummings (Ireland) v Esquiva Florentino (Brazil)

 

 
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) v Damien Hooper (Australia)

 

 
91Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) v Vassily Levit (Kazakhstan)

 

 
91Kg+: Con Sheehan (Ireland) v Mohammad Arjaoui (Morrocco)

 

 
Irish squad

 

 
56Kg: Declan Geraghty (Crumlin)

 

 
60Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)

 

 
75Kg: Conrad Cummings (Holy Trinity)

 

 
81Kg; Ken Egan (Neilstown)

 

 
91Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunkett)

 

 
91+Kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

 

 
Team manager: Des Donnelly

 

 
Coaches: Billy Walsh & Zuar Antia

 

Physio: Conor McCarthy