Two Bronze and a Silver on the Gold Coast
Irish boxers claimed two more medals at the Commonwealth Games in Australia overnight as well as upgrading another.
Belfast flyweight Brendan Irvine and Ballymena middleweight Steven Donnelly both won their quarter-finals to claim bronze while Kristina O’Hara won her semi-final to upgrade to silver on the Gold Coast.
West Belfast light flyweight O’Hara was the first Northern Ireland team member to bag a bronze Down Under back on Monday and became the first to seal silver with a dominant win over New Zealander Tasmyn Benny. The St John Bosco boxer will now face Indian legend Mary Kom in the semis.
Irvine came through against Botswanan Rajab Mahommed in the flyweight quarter-finals, taking a 4-1 split decision after battling back after a good first round from the African to claim his third major medal. Irvine will now face Reece McFadden, a bronze medalist last time out, in the semi-finals.
A few minutes later then Donnelly became a double Commonwealth Games medalist with a unanimous win over deadly Samoan puncher Henry Tyrell. Donnelly outboxed the Pacific Islander, building a large lead that left a final round count meaningless. He will now face Indian Vikas Krishan in the semis.
There was no luck however for lightweight Alanna Nihell who was eliminated in the quarters by English rival Paige Murney, losing a unanimous decision in which she was docked two points.
There are two more Irish fighters in action this morning boxing for bronze with flyweight Carly McNaul taking on Nigerian Ayisat Oriyomi at 9:45am before lightweight James McGivern faces on Mauritian veteran Jean John Colin in the 60kg quarters at 11:00am.
