Ireland recorded three wins at the European Schoolboy Championships in Romania this afternoon with Patrick Sweeney, Shamie McDonagh and James Whelan progressing on Day 2 of the action in Valcea.
Sweeney dropped Einoras Sinkevicus of Lithuania with a left in the first and floored him against with a right in the second en route to a second round TKO.
McDonagh picked off his shots throughout his three frames with Beka Tserediani and rocked his Georgian opponent backwards with a big right hook to seal victory inside the final ten seconds of the bout.
Whelan, boxing fluently off the front and back foot throughout, took all three rounds on his way to an impressive decision over Hungary’s Barga Entika in the bantam class.
Danny McHugh left absolutely everything in the ring in a slug-fest with England’s Marcus Ellis, with both boxers having their moments in a fiery 62kg contest. McHugh’s hand was held aloft in victory after the end of a very close bout, and then, after some confusion, the ref raised Ellis’ hand in triumph on a 3-2 split.
Eleven Irish boxers are now through to the quarter-finals and are one win each away from the medals.
European Schoolboys Championships 2017, Valcea, Romania July 17th/26th
July 18th (Last 16)
65kg Aaron McElligott (Ireland) beat Samuel Florin-Cimpoesu (Romania) 5-0
July 19th (Last 16)
46kg Patrick Sweeney (Ireland) beat Einoras Sinkevicus (Lithuania) TKO2
48kg Sheamie McDonagh (Ireland) beat Beka Tserediani (Georgia) 5-0
56kg James Whelan (Ireland) beat Barga Entika (Hungary) 5-0
62kg Danny McHugh (Ireland) lost to Marcus Ellis (England) 2-3
July 20th (Last 16)
38.5kg Michael Donoghue (Ireland) v Jack Dryden (England)
41.5kg Jack Charles (Ireland) v Vadim Ystonov (Moldova)
50kg Patrick Donovan (Ireland) v Pavle Bozovic (Montenegro)
52kg Cain Lewis (Ireland) v Jure Bratovich (Croatia)
July 21st (Last 16)
44.5kg Cahir Gormley (Ireland) v Gabriel Paynarov (Bulgaria)
54kg Sean Roche (Ireland) v Ersun Goktur (Turkey)
59kg Eoghan Lavin (Ireland) v Kamil Urbaniak (Poland)
July 22nd (Q/Finals)
40kg Brooklyn Saunders (Ireland) v Yaslin Farell (Germany)
43kg Cory Byrne-Dunbar (Ireland) v Abdullah Karpuz (Turkey)
46kg Patrick Sweeney (Ireland) v Vlad Vaskovskyii (Ukraine)
48kg Sheamie McDonagh (Ireland) v Alexandr Zyrianov (Russia)
56kg James Whelan (Ireland) v TBA
65kg Aaron McElligott (Ireland) v Yahor Simakov (Belarus)
68kg John Ward (Ireland) v Szyman Szyma (Poland)
72kg Sean Walsh (Ireland) v Alam Kudic Ccroatia)
76kg Darragh Farrell (Ireland) v Borna Loncaric (Croatia)
80kg Jordan Ward (Ireland) v Arten Buiru (Ukraine)
90kg Thomas McDonnell (Ireland) v Hovhan Papazyan (Armenia)
Irish squad
38.5kg Michael Donoghue (St Michaels Athy)
40kg Brooklyn Saunders (Ballybough)
41.5kg Jake Charles (Mullingar Elite)
43kg Cory Byrne-Dunbar (St Aidans)
44.5kg Cahir Gormley (Maydown Olympic)
46kg Patrick Sweeney (Olympic)
48kg Shamie McDonagh (St Pauls Wat)
50kg Patrick Donovan (Olympic)
52kg Cain Lewis (Ballymun)
54kg Sean Roche (Donore)
56kg James Whelan (Dublin Docklands)
59kg Eoghan Lavin (Ballyhaunis)
62kg Danny McHugh (Two Castles)
65kg Aaron McElligott (Cashen Vale)
68kg John Ward (Brosna)
72kg Sean Walsh (Trojan)
76kg Darragh Farrell (St Josephs Edenderry)
80kg Jordan Ward (Bay City)
90kg Thomas McDonnell (Crumlin)
Team Manager – Peter O’Donnell
Coaches – Stephen McElhinney, Paddy Gallagher and Liam Brereton
R&J – Larry Durand