WATCH LIVE: Irish Boxers fight for bronze medals at EU Championships
Two Irish boxers fight today in Valladolid looking to guarantee Ireland’s first medals of the European Union Championships.
Westmeath light welter Wayne Kelly and Galway welter Kieran Molly are both in action in Spain and the southpaw pair know a win in their respective quarter-finals would see them return to Ireland with, at least, bronze.
Both former underage stars are making their major tournament debuts as seniors and will box in consecutive bouts in the central Spanish city.
First up, at around 4:45pm (Irish time) is Portlaoise BC puncher Kelly who takes on veteran Dmitry Galogot from the non-EU country of Moldova, a bronze medallist in the last championships in 2014 and a European silver medallist in 2013. The Eastern European broke Irish hearts in 2014, defeating Dean Walsh in the 64kg quarter finals.
Immediately afterwards, Galway welter Molloy faces Italian Vincenzo Arecchia – a decorated Youth Olympic gold medallist and European U22 bronze medallist earlier this year. Last year the Italian defeated Steven Donnelly on a contentious 3-2 split in the Dublin Round Robin.
Both fights will be streamed live BELOW:
Kirill Afanasev, Michael Nevin, and Kurt Walker will all also box for medals over the next few days.
EU Elite Championships Valladolid, Spain
November 9th
Prelims (last 16)
52kg Conor Quinn (Ireland) lost to Rosenov Banbakov (Bulgaria) 1-4
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Stefan Ivanov (Bulgaria) 5-0
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Frazer Clarke (England) 1-4
November 10th
Prelims (last 16)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) beat Ruben Veciunoa (Belgium) 5-0
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Ireland) beat David Michalek (Slovakia) 4-1
November 11th
Prelims (last 16)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) beat Petr Novak (Czech Republic) 5-0
November 12th
Prelims (last 16)
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Stephan Nikitin (Germany) 5-0
November 13th
Q/Finals
64kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) v Dmitry Galogot (Moldova)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) v Vincenzo Arecchiai (Italy)
November 14th
Q/Finals
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Ireland) v Toni Filipi (Croatia)
November 15th
Q/Finals
56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Jaroslav Iwanow (Poland)
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) v Carl Fail (England)
Irish squad
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard BC)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal BC)
64kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise BC)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard BC)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise BC)
91kg Kirill Afanasev (Smithfield BC)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel BC)
Team Manager: Stephen Molloy
Coaches: John Conlan & Eoin Pluck
Physiotherapist: Seamus Caffrey
Team Doctor: Jim Clover- Team Doctor
Sports Physiologist: Damian Martin
Referee & Judge: Jim Murrin
