The draw has taken place for the 76th Strandja Memorial Tournament, and Team Ireland is assured of at least one medal.

222 athletes will contest the tournament: 143 men and 79 women boxers, from 22 federations, including Ireland: Algeria, Austrian,Azerbaijan, Bulgaria Chinese Taipei, China (Inner Mongolia), Croatia, Cyprus, England, France, Hungary, Greece, Georgia, Italy, Israel, Kosovo, Pakistan, Slovakia, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Wales

48kg Ciara Walsh has been draw in the semi finals, and will come home at least a bronze medal. She opens her account against Kazakhstan’s Algerim Sattibayeva. 50kg Shannon Sweeney, the reigning European Champion meets France’s Moulai Romane at the Quarter Final stage. Also beginning her tournament at QF stage is 54kg Chloe Gabriel – mirroring Ciara, she also contests againt Kazakh opposition, in the form of Symbat Aliashkar. European bronze medalist, 57kg Niamh Fay contests against Turkey’s Asude Ece Ediz in the last 8. 64kg Linda Desmond makes her Strandja debut at QF stage against England’s Sasha Hickey .

There’s also a quarter final start for 48kg Louis Rooney, the European U23 champion at the weight, boxes his first contest against Kazakhstan’s Shanzar Taskenbay. Fellow European U23 champ, 54kg Patsy Joyce first steps between the ropes against Uzbekistan’s Shakzod Muzafarov.

Adam Hession and Rhys Owens are contesting at the same weight, 60kg, and they meet Samandar Olimov of Uzbekistan and Georgia’s Artyush Gomtsyan, respectively at the preliminaries stage. Jason Nevin and Paris Olympian Dean Clancy are contesting at 63.5kg. Jason first meets China’s Melia Na while Dean boxes Uzbekistan’s Sayat Ilyasov. 67kg Darren O’Connor opens his account at the tournament at Last 16 stage, meeting Zaur Gahramov.

Gavin Rafferty and Josh Olaniyan are contesting at 75kg. Gavin meets Azerbaijan’s Mishariff Kazimada while Josh takes on Uzbekistan’s Javokhir Ummataliev. At 80kg James Whelan boxes against Ye Erobolweishhan. 86kg Brian Kennedy make his tournament debut against France’s Traora Aboulaye.

Paris Olympian 92kg Jack Marley has a Quarter Final start against China’s JiLei Zhang – and 92+kg Gus Ide opens his account against Uzbekistan’s Arman Makhonov.

Day One

3 Team Ireland boxers are in action on Day One. There’s a single session, beginning at 12.30pm, Irish time.

60kg Rhys Owens is in action in Ring A’s Bout 3 against Georgia’s Artyush Gomtsyan.

In Ring B, also in Bout 3, 60kg Adam Hession begins his tournament against Samandar Olimov of Uzbekistan. 4 contests later, in Bout 7, 67kg Darren O’Connor boxes Zaur Gahramov of Azerbaijan.

Programme

Watch

The Bulgarian Boxing Federation is expected to continue it’s tradition of live-streaming the tournament on it YouTube channel

Ring A

Ring B

Women’s Drawsheets

Men’s Drawsheets

Competition Schedule

Team Ireland

48kg Ciara Walsh, Smithfield Boxing Club Dublin

50kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Westport Mayo

54kg Chloe Gabriel, Dublin Docklands BC

57kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin

63kg Linda Desmond, Rylane BC, Cork

48kg Louis Rooney, Star ABC, Belfast

54kg Patsy Joyce, Olympic BC Mullingar

60kg Rhys Owens, Erne BC, Fermanagh

60kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway, Team Captain.

63.5kg Jason Nevin, Olympic BC Mullingar

63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim

67kg Darren O’Connor, Olympic BC, Galway

75kg Gavin Rafferty, Dublin Docklands

75kg Josh Olaniyan, Jobstown BC, Dublin

80kg James Whelan, Dublin Docklands

86kg Brian Kennedy, St Brigid’s BC, Edenderry, Offaly

92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin

92+kg Gus Ide, Crumlin BC, Dublin.

Team Manager: Sean Crowley

Head Coach: Zauri Antia

Coach: Lynne McEnery

Coach: Jay Delaney

Physio: Rob Tuomey

R&J: Mal Scott.

Central Council is sharing ticketing information for the Ireland V Wales International on Saturday, March 1^st. Tickets will be available on the door.

Tickets:

• Adults: €20
• Children, under 16: €10
• Club bundles: 10 tickets €150/£150

Location

The Guildhall, BT48 7BB

Doors open at 7pm.

Team Ireland

Team Ireland will be managed by Central Council’s John Gallagher, of 2 Castles Olympic BC, Tyrone.

46kg Ava McCabe, Jobstown BC, Dublin

48kg Abbey Molloy, Sacred Heart Boxing Club Dublin

52kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey BC, Wexford

54kg Elma Barry, Setanta Boxing Academy, Kildare

57kg Grace Conway, Tredagh Boxing Academy, Louth

51kg Michael Reilly, St. Paul’s Boxing Club, Waterford

54kg James McCann, St. Monica’s ABC, Newry

57kg Sean McCusker, Dealgan BC, Louth

60kg Daniel Hunter, Corpus Christi ABC, Belfast

67kg John Donoghue, Olympic Boxing Club, Westmeath

71kg Rati Abulzade, Togher BC, Cork

75kg Jason Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC

80kg Chulainn McDonnell, Whitechurch BC, Dublin

The High Performance Unit is hosting a two day sparring camp with Ulster High Performance athletes at the HPU on the Sport Ireland campus.

Its part of preparations for Strandja for HP athletes 48kg Ciara Walsh, 50kg Shannon Sweeney, 54kg Chloe Gabriel, 57kg Niamh Fay and 63kg Linda Desmond. It is also a development opportunity for Ulster boxers and participating High Performance Priority Development and Visiting Athlete squad members.

The Ulster team is led by Ulster High Performance Co-Ordinator Aimee Shiels, with Ulster pool coaches Matthew Toner, Kevin Morgan and Willie Thompson.

High Performance Coach James Doyle is assisted by pool coaches Paul Simpson, Igor Khmil, Phil Keogh and Ross Hickey.

Today’s spars, held in competition conditions, were officiated by Marty O’Neil, Karl McLoughlin and Phil Rooney, under the guidance of National Registrar, Stephen Connolly.

A second day of sparring will take place on Wednesday.

Pairings:

“Well it goes back to the 1980s…part of it was to stop drug dealing, and the other part then would have been to develop community facilities” Head Coach, Ronnie Byrne

St. Catherine’s Boxing Club on the edge of Dublin’s Coombe was founded in 2008, after Ronnie and members of a local Concerned Parents Group spent over a decade lobbying for construction of community facilities on Marrowbone Lane in Dublin 8. It’s at the heart of the local community, and is home to around 80 boxers, providing training on most weeknights. The club is one of the four founder clubs of IABA’s High Five Boxing Academy for children with additional needs, which has since been rolled out throughout the association.

This film, telling the story of the club, is part of the IABA’s Seconds Out: Stories of Irish Boxing series, supported by Sport Ireland, and is produced by Lowki Culture. St Catherine’s was profiled after winning a public vote, and this film is the 6^th in a series which includes films on the Mammy of Irish Boxing, Anna Moore; a sneak-peak in to High Performance Boxing, on Eugene Duffy who is one of Ireland’s longest serving officials, and Connacht’s Gus Farrell. The suite of films is available HERE

“While we’re a boxing club, we class ourselves as a community boxing club. We’re not necessarily focused on the results…we’re focused on the kids” says Head Coach Ronnie Byrne – the premium placed on children, their sense of belonging and their confidence is echoed by Coach, Trish McLoughlin “ It’s not all about champions for us. It’s about keeping kids off the street, keeping them right”

Kellie McLoughlin, Trish’s daughter, is the reigning Elite 60kg champion. She says the club’s sense of community has lifted and supported her “I’ve come back to the club after losing a lot of times and they’ve made me feel like I’ve won. It’s amazing the feeling that they give you. You lose and they say – you got in the ring, you done brilliant. It just wasn’t your day it will eventually come”

The club is also home to Barcelona Olympian and 1991 European Champion and now coach, Pauly Griffin, and coach Jimmy Halpin, who was recently awarded the IABA Lifetime Services to boxing award. Pauly says “I can’t even explain how important they (club leadership Ronnie Byrne, Karl and Trish McLoughlin) are to the community. They are here day in, day out. I’m just happy to be a part of it and give something back”

Two time Irish champion, 14 year old Charley Scott says “They’re like my second family. I can talk to them about anything….Young girls are worried that it’s a boys’ sport, well, that’s what people say. Just don’t listen!”

Ireland will take on Wales in a Youth International in a 13 bout dual-nations in Ulster on March 1st.

This is the first Youth international to take place since March 2023, when Ireland took on England in a dual nations following a training camp in Ballina, Co. Mayo. The last Elite international, when Ireland met Ukraine, took place in Castlerea, Co. Roscommon, in April 2024, also following a training camp.

Ireland last met Wales in a dual nations in February, 2022, in a predominantly Youth programme. That ended in 5 wins, apiece, for each federation.

The international will be hosted at the Guildhall, Derry, BT48 7BB. Doors open at 7pm. Ticketing information is to follow.

Team Ireland will be managed by Central Council’s John Gallagher, of 2 Castles Olympic BC, Tyrone.

Team Ireland

46kg Ava McCabe, Jobstown BC, Dublin

48kg Abbey Molloy, Sacred Heart Boxing Club Dublin

52kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey BC, Wexford

54kg Elma Barry, Setanta Boxing Academy, Kildare

57kg Grace Conway, Tredagh Boxing Academy, Louth

51kg Michael Reilly, St. Paul’s Boxing Club, Waterford

54kg James McCann, St. Monica’s ABC, Newry

57kg Sean McCusker, Dealgan BC, Louth

60kg Daniel Hunter, Corpus Christi ABC, Belfast

67kg John Donoghue, Olympic Boxing Club, Westmeath

71kg Rati Abulzade, Togher BC, Cork

75kg Jason Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC

80kg Chulainn McDonnell, Whitechurch BC, Dublin