Small Irish Team finally announced for European Under-22 Championships
The IABA has finally formally announced the squad for the European Under-22 Championships in Vladikavkaz, Russia.
The tournament begins as soon next weekend [Sunday March 8th] with the finals schedule for St Patrick’s Day but the selected Irish fighters have known they will be competing for the past couple of weeks.
A ten strong team will travel to Russia.
The panel has been drawn from the winners of the National Under-22 championships last month but nine champions have not been selected.
The panel includes Amy Broadhurst and Aoife O’Rourke at lightweight and middleweight who claimed gold and silver respectively at the tournament last year. Both claimed National Elite titles on Saturday
World Junior silver medallist Niamh Earley at flyweight and European and World Youth bronze medallist Gabriel Dossen, who claimed the Irish Elite middleweight crown on Saturday, will also compete in the tournament for a second time. Dossen narrowly missed out on a medal last year in Romania.
Assuming a nasty cut suffered in his epic Elite final with Kieran Molloy heals, Limerick welter Paddy Donovan will also be on the plane alongside flyweight sensation Adam Hession and featherweight Mary Geraghty who have both entered the adult ranks this year.
Highly-touted Dub Pierce O’Leary will feature at light welter – which interestingly is being competed at 64kg rather than the new 63kg Olympic limit.
Encouragingly, there is also spots on the team for lightweight Davey Oliver Joyce and light welterweight Shauna O’Callaghan despite neither being in Olympic-eligible weights.
However, disappointingly if not disgracefully, there are no spots for new Elite champion Regan Buckley, Commonwealth Youth bronze medallist Colm Murphy, 2017 competitor Kelyn Cassidy, two-time competitor Kevin Sheehy, Galway prospect Gytis Lisinskas, the in-form Courtney Daly, Orinta Ringyte, Elice Elliot, or double Elite champion Nell Fox despite all claiming Irish Under-22 titles last year.
Last year just nine of the 17 Irish Under-22 champions were sent to the Europeans in Romania
This will be the fourth edition of the annual tournament.
Ireland claimed gold and silver through Jason Quigley and Hughie Myers in the inaugural edition in 2012 but no medals in the revived 2017 championships before Broadhurst and O’Rourke made the podium last year.
European U/22 Championships Vladikavkaz, Russia March 8-17
Irish squad
52kg Adam Hession (Monivea)
51kg Niamh Earley (Ryston)
57kg Mary Geraghty (St Anthony’s)
60kg Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
60kg Davey Oliver Joyce (Ballymun)
64kg Shauna O’Callaghan (Clann Naofa)
64kg Pierce O’Leary (Dublin Docklands)
69kg Patrick Donovan (OLOL)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic)
Team Manager: Stephen Molloy
Head Coach: Dmitry Dmitruk
Coaches: Anita Just, Philip Keogh
R&J: Stephen Kelly
