Five Irish fighters in Olympic qualifying action today
Five Irish boxers are in action on Day 3 of the European qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 in London today- and two have the chance of securing Tokyo places.
Belfast quartet Brendan Irvine, Carly McNaul, Kurt Walker and Aidan Walsh and Laois middle Michael Nevin are between the ropes.
The doors close at the Copper Box, but a direct path to Tokyo is open for two of the team.
Irvine and Walker box for places at the 32nd Olympiad in the evening session which begins at 6pm.
McNaul, Walsh and Nevin take to the ring in the afternoon session which begins at 12 noon.
Ireland experienced mixed fortunes in yesterdays bouts at the 43-nation tournament.
Dubliners Emmet Brennan, George Bates and Kiril Afanasev advanced but Cork welter Christina Desmond bowed out.
Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director, hailed today’s performances.
“We got four athletes in and three victories and the other athlete was just beaten,” he said.
“I think everybody performed as best they could and that’s all we can ask of them. Today was hectic; tomorrow is a continuation of that.
“We’re very much focussed on getting our tactical plan correct and the guys being able to implement it. If they perform, I have no doubt that they will get what they are looking for.”
Click here for Monday’s card.
Click HERE to watch today’s fights.
European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020
Copperbox Arena London March 13/24
Last
March 15
Last 32
63kg George Bates (Ireland) beat Leon Dominguez (Spain) RSCI1
81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Radenko Tomic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) RSC2
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Begadze Nikoloz (Georgia) 4-1
Last
16
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Angela Carina (Italy) 0-5
March 16
Last 32
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) v Pavel Kamanin (Spain)
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) v Pas der Van (Netherlands)
Last 16
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Istavan Szaka (Hungary)
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Charley Davison (Team Great Britain)
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Hamsat Shadolov (Germany)
March 17
Last 16
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Mona Mestian (France)
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Aneta Rygielska (Poland)
63kg George Bates (Ireland) v Kiril Rusonov (Bulgaria) or Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) v Viktoriya Kebikava (Belarus)
81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) v Uke Smajli (Switzerland)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) V Emanual Reyes (Spain)
March 18
Last 16
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) v Petar Belberov (Bulgaria)
Irish squad
(Olympic qualification standard in brackets)
Male
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt (Top 8)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim) (Top 8)
63kg George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois) (Top 6)
81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary) (Top 4)
Female
51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast) (Top 6)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 6)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC) (Top 5)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)
High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk
