Put your Moore-house on it – Coach backs Bray ‘sensation’ to qualify for Olympics ahead of Elite final
Daina Moorehouse is a world-class operator who has every chance of becoming Bray’s latest boxing Olympian if she defeats Caitlin Fryers in the National Stadium this weekend, according to her coach Paul O’Toole.
The two-time senior champion and triple European underage medal winner finds herself in the toughest division in the latest installment of the National Elite Championships.
Having defeated European Elite Championship bronze medal winner Shannon Sweeney and the experienced Niamh Earley at the home of Irish boxing last weekend, the 21-year-old is up against Immaculata’s Fryers, a silver medal winner in the same tournament.
It’s a world-class field at domestic level but the Edenderry coach is adamant the Wicklow fighter is not only among the best in the country but the on offer around the world.
The full compliment of boxers contesting 2023 National Elite Championship finals won’t be known until the completion of the men’s semi finals on Friday, January 20th. Finals bouts will be boxed in the following order, to these approximate times:https://t.co/w7XLFw1Nqb pic.twitter.com/soCZjUKiqC
— IABA (@IABABOXING) January 16, 2023
“There is no fighter on the planet that is going to match Daina at 50kg. She is explosive,” he said when speaking to the Wicklow Independent. “I will tell you now, Daina is a big hope for the Olympics. If she wins this on Saturday, we go to the qualifiers for the Olympics and believe me, she will qualify. Trust me. After Katie Taylor from Bray, unbeatable. Daina is going to be another sensation from Bray.”
Defeat Belfast’s Fryers and the talented Moorehouse will have a very strong case for representing Ireland at the European Games in June, a tournament that doubles up as an Olympic qualifier. However, the High Performance will do continual assessments between the final bell on Saturday and the summer and will select who they best feel suited to the competition.
Indeed, the fact that Carly McNaul pulled out of the tournament suggests that whoever emerges as 50kg Irish Champion will have some behind-closed-doors assessments with the Belfast fighter.
