Tokyo Olympic Boxing DRAW + FIGHT TIMES
The draw is in and Ireland’s magnificent seven now know when and, largely, who they will fight as they hunt medals in Tokyo.
Kellie Harrington, Michaela Walsh, Kurt Walker, Aoife O’Rourke, Brendan Irvine, Aidan Walsh, and Emmet Brennan will represent the country in Japan and action will get underway this weekend.
All times quoted are Irish time and subject to change/correction
First up, at 4:00am Saturday morning is Lisburn feather Kurt Walker. The 2019 European champion starts in the Round of 32 and is up against Spaniard Jose Quiles Brotons – who, like Walker, won bronze at the 2017 Europeans – to begin with.
The latest chapter of the Emmet Brennan fairytale will take place on Sunday afternoon at 12:45pm. The Dublin light heavy faces Uzbekistan’s Dilshodbek Ruzmetov – a silver medallist at the last World Championships and the reigning Asian champ in the Round of 32.
Team captain Brendan Irvine gets his second Olympics underway at 4:00am Monday. The Belfast flyweight takes on Filipino Carlo Paalam in the Round of 32.
Featherweight fourth seed Michaela Walsh will be in action at 6:30am on Monday. The Belfast talent will face either Irma Testa – who she has traded wins with this year – or Russian Liudmilla Vorontsova – who beat her in the 2019 Worlds – in her Last 16 clash.
Following on from his older sister, welterweight Aidan Walsh will be in action at 3:30am on Tuesday morning. The Belfast speedster has secured a random bye and will fight the winner of Saturday’s bout between eSwatini’s Thabiso Dlamini and Cameroonian Albert Mengue Ayissi.
Roscommon middleweight Aoife O’Rourke is straight into Last 16 following the withdrawal of Moroccan #2 seed Khadija El-Mardi and will get going on Wednesday morning at 10:15am. Castlerea’s European champion has a tough one to start versus China’s Li Qian, a bronze medallist at Rio, the 2018 World Champion, and reigning Asian champion.
Seeded number one, Dublin lightweight Kellie Harrington will have to wait until 3:00am on Friday [July 30th] morning for her first fight. In her Last 16 bout, Harrington will face either Italian Rebeca Nicoli or Mexican Esmeralda Falcón.
You can see the full draw and schedule HERE
