Women’s Open Elite Championships – FULL DRAW
The draw has been made for the Women’s Open Elites which begin tonight in Dublin.
Disappointingly, the tournament has seen extremely low numbers and a provisional entry list of 13 released earlier this week has been upped to just 14 with two fighters pulling out and a further three entering.
Six fighters have won titles by walkover, another weight has seen no entries, two finals are up for decision tonight, and the light flyweight class sees semi-finals tonight before a decider next Friday at St Michael’s Athy BC as part of the Junior international versus England.
The tournament had been believed to be something which would factor into selections for the World Championships in India later this year but few of the big name Irish stars have entered.
Four of the Senior Elite champions have entered here, while none of the trio of Kelly Harrington, Grainne Walsh, or Michaela Walsh have entered.
The trio, who box at Olympic-eligible weights, were Ireland’s sole representatives at the European Championships earlier this year in Poland.
It is assumed, as all three are in training camp, that they will all be on the plane to New Delhi. Whether any of the fighters that will compete over the next week will be also making their way to the Worlds remains to be seen.
In terms of the action tonight, the 48kg class sees a repeat of February’s Senior final between champ Shannon Sweeney and runner-up Carol Coughlan while Donna Barr makes her long-awaited return to the National Stadium against Intermediate runner-up Courtney Daly.
In the finals, European Youth bronze medallist and reigning champion Lauren Hogan faces World Junior silver medallist and flyweight runner-up in February Niamh Early in the bantamweight final.
Finally, Amy Broadhurst and Ciara Ginty meet in the middle. The former underage prodigies finished runners-up in the lightweight and welterweight finals in February respectively and contest the light welterweight final here in what looks to be the pick of the night’s action.
Women’s Open Elite Competition National Stadium Dublin
September 7th (7pm)
Semi Finals
48kg Courtney Daly (Crumlin) v Donna Barr (Illies Golden Gloves)
48kg Shannon Sweeney (St Annes) v Carol Coughlan (Mulhuddart)
(48kg Final will be on Friday 14th in St Michaels Athy Club )
Finals
51kg Nicole Hayes (Togher) W/O
54kg Lauren Hogan (St Brigids Edenderry) V Niamh Early (Ryston)
57kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart) W/O
60kg NO ENTRIES
64kg Ciara Ginty (Geesala) V Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
69kg Katelynn Phelan (St Bridgids Kildare) W/O
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) W/O
81kg Lisa Browne (Aglish) W/O
81+kg Nell Fox (Rathkeale) W/O
