HARRINGTON INTO WORLD ELITE FINAL

Kellie Harrington upgraded her guaranteed bronze to at least silver at the AIBA World Women’s Elite Championships in India today.

The Dublin lightweight beat Kazakhstan’s Karina Ibragimova on a unanimous decision to book her ticket into Saturday’s 60kg final in New Delhi.

Harrington, who rocked the Kazakh southpaw with a two-punch combination in the first, boxed well within herself in all three rounds and won 30-27 on all five cards.

The St Mary’s BC orthodox, a silver medallist at light-welter at the 2016 World Elites in Kazakhstan, will Thailand’s Sudapom Seesondee for gold on Saturday.

The Thai beat Korea’s Yeonji Oh in a reversal of their Asian Games final today.

Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director and Irish team manager, and head coach Zaur Antia head hailed toady’s performance which saw Harrington end the first round with a big head shot and keep her shape and continue to find the target in the second.

Ibragimova’s right was an issue throughout, but Harrington, who switched briefly to southpaw and back near the end of the third, continued to pick off head and body shots, a cheeky shuffle thrown into the bargain, to reach her second successive World Elite final at two different weights.

(Images, Kellie Harrington has her hand raised in victory today)

Today’s victory was her fourth in seven days in New Delhi.

Ireland’s female boxers have reached seven World Elite finals since 2006.

Meanwhile, a second session of semi-finals will be decided at the 10th edition of the tournament in New Delhi tomorrow.

Irish boxing has dominated the lightweight (60kg) class at the World Women’s Elites since the inaugural tournament in the USA in 2001.

Ireland, courtesy of Katie Taylor who claimed her first belt in New Delhi in 2006, has won five gold, and now, courtesy of Harrington, has reached six lightweight finals. Canada has won two and Russia and France one.

France’s Olympic champion Estelle Mossely put a stop to Ireland’s gallop – and Taylor’s bid for six on the bounce in Kazakhstan in 2016, where Harrington won light-welter silver –  but Mosselly has since turned pro and a new name will be on the title this weekend.

The finals begin at 10.30am (Irish time) on Saturday morning.