Steven Donnelly (blue) in action.
Steven Donnelly and David Oliver Joyce will be the first Irish boxers in action in the welterweight and lightweight classes at the 2016 Olympics in Rio this afternoon and evening (Irish time).
Boxing2016 – Rio 2016 Olympic Games Entry Men’s 69KG Draw Sheets
Boxing2016 – Rio 2016 Olympic Games Entry Men’s 60KG Draw Sheets
Donnelly meets Algerian southpaw Zahir Kedache of Algeria at approximately 4:15pm this afternoon and Joyce trades leather with Andrique Allisop of the Seychelles at approximately 9:30pm tonight.
Donnelly and Joyce and opponents weighed-in this morning.
“The squad had a good training session yesterday and Steven and David are very foccused on what they have to do today,” said Irish team manager Joe Hennigan.
Both Kedache and Allisop qualified for Rio through the African qualifiers in the Cameroon in March.
Kedache,30,lined out for the Algeria Desert Hawks in the World Series of Boxing (WSB) in 2015 but was beaten by Oleg Zubenko of the Ukraine.
Allisop,23,is a two-time Olympian.The 2012 Seychelles Sportsman of the Year lost 18-8 under the old computer scoring system to India’s Jai Bhagwan on his Olympic debut in London four years ago.
The winner of the Joyce versus Allisop three-rounder meets Albert Selimov of Azerbaijan in the last 16. Selimov,then boxing for Russia, claimed an AIBA World Elite title in Chicago in 2007.The Azeri received a bye in Rio.
Meanwhile,Germany’s Serge Michel and Ecuador’s Andrea Mina clash today.The winner advances to face Joe Ward in the last 16.
David Oliver Joyce
Madrid light-fly Samuel “El Infierno” Carmona of Spain won on his Olympic debut yesterday versus Artur Havhannisyan of Armenia to set up Monday’s 49kg meeting with Paddy Barnes.
Former WBO World middleweight champion Hassan N’Dam crashed out of the tournament on a unanimous decision to unheralded Borges Michel of Brazil in the light-heavy class yesterday.
N’Dam, boxing for the Cameroon,is one of three pro boxers at the Games.
The African, who has won 34 of his 36 pro fights, won the interim version of the WBO belt in France in 2012 but quite literally dropped it – he was floored six times – to Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin at the Barclays Centre in New York the same year.
N’Dam beat Andy Lee on a countback after a draw at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
Both Donnelly, who qualified for Rio through the WSB, and Joyce, one of two Irish AIBA Pro Boxing fighters at the 31st Olympiad along with Ward, will be making their Olympic debuts today.
All of Irish boxing wishes both men the very best of luck at the Pavilion 6 venue.
Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger and John Conlan are working Ireland’s corner at Rio 2016..
Irish Draw Rio Olympics
August 7th (last 32)
60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Andrique Allisop (Seychelles)
69kg Stephen Donnelly (Ireland) v Zahir Kedache (Algeria)
August 8th (last 16)
49kg Paddy Barnes (Ireland) v Samuel Carmona (Spain)
August 10th (last 16)
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Serge Michel (Germany) or Andrea Mina (Ecuador)
August 12th (last 16)
75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) v Uziel Rodriquez (Mexico) or Waheed Karawi (Iraq)
August 13th (last 32)
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Shakhobidin Zoirov (Uzbekistan)
August 14th (last 16)
56kg Michael Conlan (Ireland) v Aram Avagyan (Armenia) or Arashi Mariska (Japan)
August 15th (Q/Finals)
60kg Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Mira Potkonen (Finland) or Adriana Araujo (Brazil)
Irish squad
Women
60kg (Lightweight) – Katie Taylor (Bray)
Men
49kg (Light-flyweight) – Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
52kg (Flyweight) – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
56kg (Bantamweight) – Michael Conlan (Clonard)
60kg (Lightweight) – David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy & AIBA Pro Boxing)
69kg (Welterweight) – Steven Donnelly (All Saints)
75kg (Middleweight) – Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)
81kg (Light-heavyweight) – Joe Ward (Moate & AIBA Pro Boxing)
Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Zaur Antia, Eddie Bolger, John Conlan
Physio: Julianne Ryan
Sport Psychologist: Gerry Hussey