IABA name squad for Milan
18 August 2009 – By Mark Doyle
The Irish Amateur Boxing Association has unveiled its 11-man squad for next months AIBA World Senior Championships in Milan.
The panel contains two medalists from the Beijing Olympics in the shape of light-heavyweight star Ken Egan and Belfast light-flyweight Paddy Barnes.
European Union champions David Oliver Joyce (featherweight), Darren ONeill (middleweight) and Con Sheehan (heavyweight) will also make the trip to Italy.
In total, there are nine senior champions in the side and IABA president Dominic ORourke is confident that the countrys top young talent will be able to maintain their excellent recent run of results on the international stage.
The 2009 AIBA World Senior Boxing Championships will be another key tournament for Irish amateur boxing, he enthused.
The last few seasons have been an incredibly successful time for the sport as we have won medals at every international tournament we have entered, including the Olympics Games.
“The upcoming Championships in Milan will be another tough test for our squad. But they will draw a lot of confidence from their performances against some of best in the world over the last few years and that will stand to them in Milan.
“I would be quietly confident that we will do well and on behalf of the IABA I wish everyone involved with the Irish squad the very best of luck in Milan.
Irish 2009 AIBA World Championships Squad:
48Kg: (Light flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family, Belfast)51Kg: (Flyweight) Declan Geraghty (Dublin Docklands)54Kg: (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan)57Kg: (Featherweight) David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)60Kg: (Lightweight) Eric Donovan (St Michael’s Athy)64Kg: (Light welterweight) Philip Sutcliffe (Crumlin)69Kg: (Welterweight) Willie McLaughlin (Illies GG, Donegal)75Kg: (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown, Kilkenny) 81Kg: (Light heavyweight) Ken Egan (Neilstown)91Kg: (Heavyweight) Con Sheehan (Clonmel)91+Kg: (Super heavyweight) Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity, Belfast)
