One round at a time for teen heavyweight Jack Marley

It’s a a case of one round at a time heading into the European Championships Under 22’s for young big man Jack Marley.

The teen heavyweight’s first-ever senior competition happens to be an international one but that doesn’t phase the prospect.

Still there big medal talk from the Monkstown BC graduate, rather he is preaching off the one step at a time hymn sheet. Marley’s focus is first and foremost on performing, the rest will take of itself thereafter.

“Over the next week or so I will be taking each round at a time and focus on performing,” Marley told Irish-boxing.com before Thursday’s glove off.

“This tournament will be the start of my senior career as a boxer and I’ll be looking no further than that as of now.”

Like the majority of the under-22 squad, the Dubliner was training with the High-Performance team in Abbotstown before the Olympic Qualifiers – and like his counterparts, it’s an experience Marley enjoyed and benefited from.

“I’ve had a great camp and I am 100% confident going into this tournament. I was training with the Olympic squad before they went to Paris and I gained a lot of knowledge and experience from that. It had been hard over the past while with no clubs and competitions but we’ve all been in the same boat.”

With a difficult period put behind him Marley now looks forward to representing his country and impressing on the senior international stage.

“I feel very grateful to get such a big opportunity after a year and a half of a lockdown and with no competition.”

“I’m looking forward to perform on the international stage.”

Irish squad

51kg Niamh Earley (Ryston)
60kg Ellie May-Gartland (Clonmel)
52kg Sean Mari (Monkstown)
56kg Adam Hessian (Monivea)
63kg Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic)
81kg Kane Tucker (Emerald)
91kg Jack Marley (Monkstown
91kg+ Gytis Lisinskas (Celtic Eagles)