GALLAGHER PRESENTED WITH MEDAL AT WORLD YOUTHS

 JUDE GALLAGHER PRESENTED WITH HIS WORLD YOUTH BRONZE TODAY

Tyrone’s Jude Gallagher improved Ireland’s total haul in over 30 years of World Youth boxing to 22 medals at the 2018 AIBA World Men’s and Women’s Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

Gallagher lost out in the last-four of the tournament on Tuesday following a 4-1 split decision reversal to Thailand’s Thitisan, who won gold today.

It has been a remarkable year for Two Castles BC stand out who secured World and European Youth bronze and an Irish title in 2018 despite being two years shy of the maximum age.

Jude Gallagher today

“Disappointed not to be competing in the world finals, but still 16. Fighting 17/18 year-olds will definitely stand of me in the future,” he said.

Meantime, the inaugural Men’s World Youths – the 1st World Women’s Youths were held in Turkey in 2011 – was hosted in Japan in 1979.

Eight years later Ireland claimed two medals at Cuba 1987, courtesy of Eamonn Loughran and Denis Galvin.

Today’s medal ceremony

“Sugar” Ray Moylette won our first gold at this level in 2008 in Mexico and Joe Ward topped the podium in Azerbaijan two years later.

Gallagher’s podium finish is not the first time that an Irish boxer has taken home World Youth silver from Hungary as Colman Barrett won bronze in the heavyweight division in Budapest at the turn of the century.

Hungary 2018 marks the fourth time that Ireland has medalled in the light-fly class with Ryan Burnett, a current World pro champion, Katie Rowland and Caitlin Fryers, who lined out for Ireland in Hungary this month, winning silver and three bronze at the limit.

Meanwhile, a second session of finals will be decided in Budapest tomorrow.

Team Ireland are due to arrive home on Saturday at 4pm via Dublin Airport.

Pictures courtesy of Irish Women’s team manager Tara Mari Robin.

Today’s medal ceremony