TEAM IRELAND CONTINUE COUNTDOWN TO EUROPEAN WOMEN’S C’SHIPS

IABA News
Irish European Elite squad

Irish European Elite squad.

Ireland’s squad for the European Elite Women’s Championships completed their third day of training at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield today.

Team Ireland are training with Team GB, England and Wales in Sheffield ahead of the opening bell for the 10th European Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

The squad return home from England on Sunday and depart for Sofia on November 14th. Boxing begins on November 15th.

Tipperary lightweight Shauna O’Keeffe will wear the Irish lightweight vest in Sofia in place of Katie Taylor.

Taylor would have been aiming for seven in-a-row in the Bulgarian capital but has decided to switch codes.

World No. 4 ranked light-welter Kellie Harrington lines out at 64kg and Irish Youth Olympian Christina Desmond carries our middleweight hopes at the last AIBA ranking tournament of 2016.

The Cork southpaw recorded one notable victory this year after stunning Holland’s World No. 2 Nouchka Fontijn at the European Olympic qualifiers.

A few months after that defeat, Fontijn was beaten by Americas two-time Olympic champion Claressa Shields in the Rio 2016 Olympic final.

“Europe is obviously a very strong boxing continent and we’re all expecting tough competition in Sofia,” said Desmond, the current Irish Elite champion who claimed Ireland’s first medal at the World University Championships in Thailand last month.

“We know that the Europeans are going to be very competitive and we’re under no illusion about that, but the squad are preparing very well and we’re quitely confident.”

Meantime, it has yet to be confirmed if seeding will be in operation in Sofia. Seedings are distributed according to AIBA World rankings which await updating to reflect performances at Rio 2016.

 

Irish Squad European Elite Women’s Championships

 

48kg Lauren Hogan (St.Brigids Edenderry)

51kg Donna Barr (Twin Towns)

54kg Dervla Duffy (Mulhuddart)

57kg Moira McElliggot (St Michael’s Athy)

60kg Shauna O’Keeffe (Clonmel)

64kg Kellie Harrington (Glasnevin)

69kg Grainne Walsh (Sparticus)

75kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgans)

 

Team manager: Noreen Glendening

Physio: Caoimhe Gilmore

Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, Dmitri Dimitruc

R&J: Sadie Duffy

 

Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary

CORK TO HONOUR WOMEN’S CONTRIBUTION TO BOXING ON LEESIDE

IABA News
Cork Board Michael O'Brien presenting Shelley Thomas (Loughmahon BC) with a medal

Cork Board President Michael O’Brien presenting Shelley Thomas (Loughmahon BC) with a medal.

The Cork County Boxing Board (CCBB) will host a Boxing Breakfast this Saturday morning to laud women’s contribution to the sport on Leeside.

The President of the Leinster Board, Bernie Harold, will address the Breakfast which begins at 10am at Clancy’s restaurant.

Bernie Harold became the first woman in the 105-year history of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) to be elected President of a Provincial Council in 2015.

Pat Ryan, President of the IABA, said: “I would like to thank the ladies of Cork for their invaluable contribution to our sport on behalf of the Irish Athletic Boxing Association.

“Their contribution has been enormous and the Irish Athletic Boxing Association are proud to be associated with this event.”

Echoing the views of the IABA President, Michael O’Brien, President of the CCBB, said: “The women of Cork boxing have worked as volunteers for many years and their contribution to the promotion of boxing on Leeside has and continues to be absolutely outstanding.”

The CCBB, in conjunction with the Cork boxing fraternity, have been hosting the hugely popular Boxing Breakfast events for over five years to honour those involved in the sport both inside and outside the ropes.

WORLD YOUTH SIDE GEAR UP FOR FINAL TRAINING CAMP IN MOSCOW

IABA News

 

 

 

 

University of Uster training camp

University of Uster training camp.

 

Team Ireland head to Russia – with glove –  early tomorrow morning for a final training camp with host nation and Cuba in Moscow ahead of the opening bell for the AIBA World Youth Championships in St Petersburg later this month.

The nine-strong squad completed training camps at Dublin’s National Stadium and the University of Ulster in Belfast over the last number of weeks.

Stephen Connolly is Irish team manager for the World Youths and Billy McClean and John Conlan will be working Ireland’s corner at the biennial tournament.

Over 400 boxers from seventy nations have entered the final AIBA event of 2016 at the 7,000-capacity Sibur Arena in Russia’s second largst city.

Finishing off the training camp phase of preparations with world boxing powerhouses Russia and Cuba is ideal, according to Billy McClean.

“We leave for our final training camp with the Russians and the Cubans tomorrow morning, bright and early. I’m sure there will be another few nations in Moscow as well, he said.

“The boys had excellent training camps in Dublin and Belfast where they trained and sparred with England and Scotland and the Ulster High Performance team in Belfast.

“Moscow will round off our preparations nicely. We leave Moscow for St Petersburg on November 14th. Everyone is ready to go.”

 

 

 

 

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2016 AIBA World Youth Championships St Petersburg, Russia November 17/26

Irish squad

49kg Jordan Moore (Glasnevin)
52kg Conor Quinn (Clonard)
56kg Eamer Coughlan (Riverstown)
60kg Patrick Donovan (OLOL)
64kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic)
69kg Brett McGinty (Oakleaf)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg Christopher O’Reilly (Bracken)
91+kg Kevin Sheehy (St Francis)

Team manager: Stephen Connolly

Coaches: Billy McClean and John Conlan

R&J: Ben McCarrigle