World Youth Olympics Draw- Desmond gets bye into the semi final
Cork middleweight Christina Desmond has received a bye into the semi-finals of the Youth Olympics in Nanjing, China.
The Macroom BC southpaw is pencilled in to meet Chen Nien-Chen of Chinese Taipei on Sunday in the last-four of the tournament.
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Nien-Chen qualified for Nanjing after reaching the semi-finals at the 2014 World Youth Championships in Bulgaria. The Asian middleweight was beaten in the last-four by eventual gold-medallist Elzbieta Wojcik of Poland at the World Youths.
Meanwhile, World Junior champion Ciara Ginty will become the first Irish female boxer to compete in the Youth Olympics tomorrow. The Mayo lightweight is slated to renew acquaintances with Monica Floridia. The Italian lightweight was adjudged to have beaten Ginty on a split decision in the quarter-finals of the World Youths in Bulgaria in April.
Donegal heavyweight Michael Gallagher is in against Maksim Kazlou of Belarus tomorrow in the quarter-finals. Both boxers qualified for Nanjing from the box-offs at the 2014 World Youths in Bulgaria, Gallagher beating Holland’s Thomas Oomen and Kazlou advancing on a walkover over Azerbaijan’s Shukran Mehdiyev, who was injured.
“The squad are looking forward to getting in the ring now that the draw is over and getting the Youth Games Olympics underway. Training has gone very well and the facilities here are top class,” said Irish team manager Stephen Connelly.
Ginty and Floridia will be in action at approximately 7:45am in the morning (Irish time).
Seventy eight boxers – 60 males and 18 females – will compete in Nanjing across 13 weight classes.
The losing semi-finalists in Nanjing will box off for bronze.
Youths Olympics Nanjing, China
August 23rd
Q/Finals
F60kg Ciara Ginty (Ireland) v Monica Floridia (Italy) (7:45am)
M91kg Michael Gallagher (Ireland) v Maksim Kazlou (Belarus) (2:15pm)
August 24th
S/Finals
F75kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) v Chen Nien Chin (Chinese Taipei) (8am)
(Estimated times (Irish) apply. Nanjing is seven hours ahead of Ireland)
Irish squad
60kg Ciara Ginty (Geesala)
75kg Christina Desmond (Macroom)
91kg Michael Gallagher (Finn Valley)
Team Manager: Stephen Connelly
Coach: Billy McClean
