Squad Profiles for European Championships
Today the IABA confirmed a seven man team that will head to Samokov, Bulgaria, next month for the 41st edition of the European Amateur Boxing Championships (6th-15th August).
The Irish contingent will be aiming to secure top six place finishes (the semi-finalists and the quarter-finalist that lose to the eventual finalists) at the continental tournament as this will qualify them for the World Championships in Qatar this August. The World Championships will then serve as a qualifier for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The team is a mix of youth and experience and will hopefully continue the amazing record the Irish have in the tournament, where they have won 16 medals in the last 7 editions of the tournament
The team will fly off to Sheffield next week for a training camp in preparation for the tournament.
Team Profiles:
Light Flyweight (49kg)
Unable to enter a boxer due to Brendan Irvine having already qualified for the World Championships via the European Games.
Flyweight (52kg)
Name: Myles Casey
Age: 22
Club: St Francis BC, Limerick
Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2015).
Bantamweight (56kg)
Name: Michael Conlan
Age: 23
Club: St. John Bosco BC, Belfast
Achievements: National Senior Elite Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), European Championships silver (2013), Commonwealth Games gold (2014), Olympic Bronze (2012), Qualification for the 2016 Olympics.
Lightweight (60kg)
Unable to enter a boxer due to Sean McComb having already qualified for the World Championships via the European Games.
Light Welterweight (64kg)
Name: Dean Walsh
Age: 21
Club: St Joseph’s/St. Ibars’s BC, Wexford
Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2014, 2015).
Welterweight (69kg)
Name: Adam Nolan
Age: 28
Club: Bray BC, Wicklow
Achievements: Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015), 2012 Olympian.
Middleweight (75kg)
Unable to enter a boxer due to Michael O’Reilly having already qualified for the World Championships via the European Games.
Light Heavyweight (81kg)
Name: Joe Ward
Age: 21
Club: Moate BC, Westmeath
Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), European Championships gold (2011), World Championships bronze (2013).
Heavyweight (91kg)
Name: Darren O’Neill
Age: 29
Club: Paulstown BC, Kilkenny
Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015), European Championships silver (2010), European Union Championships gold (2009) and silver (2014), 2012 Olympian.
Super Heavyweight (+91kg)
Name: Dean Gardiner
Age: 27
Club: Clonmel BC, Tipperary
Achievements: National Elite Senior Champion (2015).
