IATBA CHAMPIONSHIPS – DAY 1 REPORT

Some good action took place today in the High Performance Gym at the National Boxing Stadium as the leather was traded among Irelands enlightened minds.

Twenty four pulsating bouts took place and everything was on show in terms of grit and determination among the pugilists.

There were wins in the early bouts for Tony Fox and Sean Foley while Sean Purcell scored a split decision win over Callum Toland in a cracking Senior Elite 56KG contest. Dean Bird O’Rourke got the win for Maynooth University while Daniel McCarthy got UL off to winning ways. Shaun Devine got the Maynooth lads even happier but it was at the expense of clubmate Gary McLoughlin.

Jean Pierre Kaluena got the Dundalk ball rolling as the big O’Fiach man saw off Nathan Wallace NUIG. David Neylon from DCU won by stoppage in round 3 while clubmate Thomas Walsh got the split decision in his 81KG bout. CIT boxer Benas Pikcilingis won by unanimous decision against Ruaidhri O’Conall. Kevin O’Herlihy got the UL team going again with a win over Paul Walsh WIT in the Junior Novice 81KG division.

Thomas O’Toole got a good win over Paul Ryan in the Senior Elite 75KG semi final. Trinity College Dublin boxer John Atling won unanimously against Shane O’Keefe while Martin Tolan from Belfast Metropolitan got a split decision win over Adam O’Donoghue CIT. In the Senior Novice 71KG division, Colm Conneely won unanimously against Conor McGinn DCU. On the other side of the draw, Leon Mooney showed the Cavan express wasn’t stopping as he dispatched with Jack Prendeville DIT in a hars hitting contest. Paul Fitzgibbon WIT closed out the session with a unanimous decision over Dylan Broderick from CIT in the Senior Novice 75KG division.

Boxing resumes on Sunday morning at 10:30am with 28 contests down for decision in the High Performance Gym.

Next Friday evening at 7:30pm will see most of the semi finals completed with one final between Kellie McLoughlin and Clodagh McComiskey…a bout not to be missed!

The remaining finals will be held in the National Boxing Stadium itself on St.Patricks Day where the action will again begin at 10:30am. The entry will be €5 for the finals with all other sessions (prelims/quarters/semis) free.

Please come along and support your boxers.

Report and pictures courtesy of Paddy Gallagher.