The 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed until the summer of 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) today confirmed.

The Games were scheduled to begin in Tokyo in July of this year.

Click here for full statement.

“The focus for Team Ireland now will be on protecting and safeguarding the Irish athletes over the coming months and ensuring that they can bounce back to full training and be in peak condition for a successful Games in 2021, said the Olympic Federation of Ireland.

The Olympic Federation of Ireland CEO, Peter Sherrard welcomed the call, acknowledging the complexities involved in postponing the Games.

He said: “This is the right call given the times that we are in. Nonetheless, we recognize it was a difficult call for Japan to make, and we are looking forward to working with the IOC and countries all over the world to make Tokyo 2021 a poignant moment for the whole world once these difficult times are over.”

Tokyo Chef de Mission Tricia Heberle added: “This decision, while totally appropriate, will impact on sport and our athletes in different ways, there will be mixed emotions.

“Our focus is to continue to engage with and support our sports as we gather as much information to determine how this will impact on both athletes who have already qualified and those who are on the path to qualification.”

 

Ireland earned some hard-earned victories in international competition so far this year, not least being Brendan Irvine’s unanimous decision over Hungary’s Istavan Szaka in London last week which saw the Antrim flyweight qualify for his second successive Olympics.

The London tournament was postponed three days into the 11-day competition because of the coronavirus pandemic.

However ten Irish boxers – including Irvine, who, having secured qualification, is slated to meet Spain’s Gabriel Escobar for at least bronze in the quarter-finals – are still in play at the European qualifiers.

“I was a bit emotional, to be honest with you,” Irish captain Irvine told the Irish News after becoming a two-time Olympian

A finalist at the 2015 European Games, Irvine reckoned that this time out the process was different that the qualifiers for Rio 2016.

“Compared to four years ago, it was completely different. Growing up, ever since I started boxing, it was my dream to go to the Olympics. My next dream was to get to the Tokyo Olympics and get that medal, but the whole build-up to both was a world apart.”

Sixteen flyweights, including Irvine, and feathers booked tickets for the 32nd Olympiad before the London tournament was abandoned.

61 places will be on offer when the competition resumes at a date to be confirmed with George Bates slated to meet Azeri light-welter Javid Chalabiyev with a Tokyo 2020 place on the line.

Meanwhile, and taking into account Ireland’s double Olympians – and Paddy Barnes who is the only Irish boxer to qualify for three Olympics – Irvine, when he steps into the ring in Tokyo, will be the 125th boxer to represent Ireland at the Olympics since Ireland first entered the Olympic Games independently at Paris 1924.

Elsewhere, Ireland secured three medals in multi-nation outings so far this year and beat Wales on aggregate over two legs in Cardiff in a see-saw underage double-header at the start of this month in Cardiff.

 

International Results  2020

 

Strandja Multi-Nations Sofia, Bulgaria

January 25

Final

60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) lost to Mira Potkonen (Finland) 2-3

January 24

S/Finals

60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Denica Eliseeva (Bulgaria) 5-0
60kg Mira Potkonen (Finland) beat Agnes Alexiusson (Sweden) 5-0
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) lost to Naomi Graham (USA) 0-5
75kg Davina Michel (France) beat Anastasiia Chernoklenko (Ukraine) 5-0

January 23

Q/Finals

51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) lost to Virginia Fuchs (USA) 0-5
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) lost to Sonia Lather (India) 2-3
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Mykola Buysenko (Ukraine) 1-4
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Hanna Okheri (Ukraine) 5-0
63kg George Bates (Ireland) lost to Shiva Thapa (India) 0-5
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Jones Oshae (USA) W/O
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) beat Flavia Figuerdo (Brazil) 3-2

January 22

Last 16

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) lost to Olena Savchuk (Italy) 0-5
51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) beat Rabab Cheddar (Morocco) 5-0
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Carlos Rocha (Brazil) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Jenifer Fernandez (Spain) 5-0
57kg Dean Clancy (Ireland) lost to Francesco Maietta (Italy) Pts
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) beat Aneta Rygielska (Poland) 5-0
60kg Amy Broadhurst (Ireland) lost to Mira Potkonen (Finland) 0-5
63kg George Bates (Ireland) beat Shpetin Bajoku (Kosova) Pts
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Paolo Di Lernia (Italy) Pts
69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) lost to Johnson Delante (USA) Pts
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Sing Negi (India) 0-5
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) lost to Herbert Souza (Brazil) 2-3
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) lost to Nikolaz Begadze (Georgia) W/O

January 21

Last 32 and 16

51kg Ceire Smith (Ireland) beat Johanna Wonyou (France) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Gutierrez Guadaloupe (USA) 3-2
63kg George Bates (Ireland) beat Lounes Hamraoui (France) 3-2
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) beat Beatriz Soares (Brazil) 4-1
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) beat Love Holgersson (Sweden) 5-0
81kg Emmett Brennan (Ireland) lost to Stepan Hrekul (Ukraine) 1-4
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Victor Schelstraette (Belgium) 3-2
91+kg Antione O Griofa (Ireland) lost to Clemente Russo (Italy) 0-5

Medals Table Finish 10th
Rankings Table Finish 6th
29 Nations

Irish squad

Female

51kg Ceire Smith (Cavan) and Carly McNaul (Holy Family)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s) (Silver) and Amy Broadhurst (Dealgan)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea) (Bronze)

Male
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal) and Dean Clancy (Sean McDermott)
63kg George Bates (St Mary’s) and Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) and Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)
91kg+ Antoine O’Griofa (Celtic Eagles)

Staff
High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk, JP Kinsella
Physio: Lorcan McGee
Physiologist: Damien Martin

Bocskai Memorial Debrecen, Hungary

February 7

Final
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Ireland) lost to Victor Yoka (France) 0-5

February 6

S/Finals

75kg Gabriel Dossen (Ireland) v Zoltan Harsca (Hungary) W/O

February 5

Q/Final

75kg Gabriel Dossen (Ireland) beat Robert Cservenka (Hungary) 5-0

February 4

Last 16

75kg Gabriel Dossen (Ireland) beat Mindougas Gedminas (Norway) 5-0

February 3

Last 32

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) lost to Mohammed Rajab (Botswana) 1-4
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Alexsandar Mraovic (Austria) RSC2

Medals Table Finish: 11th
Rankings Table Finish: Not Available
35 Nations

Squad

52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
75kg Gabriel Dossen (Olympic) (Silver)
91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

Coaches: Eoin Pluck & Michael Mongan
Physio: David Cooke

Wales versus Ireland Cardiff Sports Centre

March 1

Junior

46kg Harvey Williams (Wales) lost to Martin Collins (Ireland) 2-3

Youth

51kg Zoe Andrews (Wales) lost to Chloe Gabriel (Ireland) 2-3
52kg Romeo Costa (Wales) beat Jack Rapple (Ireland) 5-0
56kg Brandon Scott (Wales) lost to Suffie Edris (Ireland) 0-5
60kg Scott Jones (Wales) beat John McConnell (Ireland) 5-0
60kg Jake Down (Wales) beat Aodhan Byrne (Ireland) 4-1
64kg Paddy Murphy (Wales) lost to Matthew Tyndall (Ireland) 2-3

Result: Ireland 4 Wales 3

Wales versus Ireland Cardiff Sports Centre

February 29

Junior

46kg Harvey Williams (Wales) beat Martin Collins (Ireland) 5-0

Youth

49kg Scott Richards (Wales) lost to Dylan Eagleson (Ireland) 1-4
51kg Zoe Andrews (Wales) lost to Rachael Lawless (Ireland) 2-3
52kg Romeo Costa (Wales) beat Jack Rapple (Ireland) 5-0
56kg Brandon Scott (Wales) lost to Martin McCullagh (Ireland) 0-5
60kg Scott Jones (Wales) beat John McConnell (Ireland) 5-0
60kg Jake Down (Wales) lost to Aodhan Byrne (Ireland) 1-4
64kg Paddy Murphy (Wales) beat Matthew Tyndall (Ireland) 3-2

Result: Ireland 4  Wales 4

Irish squad

45kg Martin Collins (Drimnagh)
49kg Dylan Eagleson (St Paul’s A)
52kg Jack Rapple (Monkstown, D)
51kg Chloe Gabriel (Mulhuddart)
51kg Rachael Lawless (Portlaoise)
54kg Suffie Edris (Monkstown D)
57kg Martin McCullagh (Gleann)
60kg John McConnell (Holy Trinity)
60kg Aodhan Byrne (Kilcullen)
64kg Matthew Tyndall (Dublin Docklands)

Team manager: Eugene Duffy
Coaches: John Gallagher, Liam Cunningham, Nicole Meli
R&J Paul Mayse (Tyrone)

European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020

Copperbox Arena London March 13/24

March 16

Last 32

69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) beat Pavel Kamanin (Spain) 5-0
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Pas der Van (Netherlands) 4-1

Last 16

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) beat Istavan Szaka (Hungary) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) lost Charley Davison (Team Great Britain) 0-5
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Hamsat Shadolov (Germany) 0-5

March 17

Last 16

(Postponed)

57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Mona Mestian (France)
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Aneta Rygielska (Poland)
63kg George Bates (Ireland) v Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) v Viktoriya Kebikava (Belarus)
75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) v Arman Darchinyan (Armenia)
81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) v Uke Smajli (Switzerland)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) V Emanual Reyes (Spain)

March 18

Last 16

(Postponed)

69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) v Wahid Hambli (France)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) v Petar Belberov (Bulgaria)

March 19

Q/Final

(Postponed)

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Gabriel Escobar (Spain)

March 15

Last 32

63kg George Bates (Ireland) beat Leon Dominguez (Spain) RSCI1
81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Radenko Tomic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) RSC2
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Begadze Nikoloz (Georgia) 4-1

Last 16

69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Angela Carina (Italy) 0-5

Irish squad

(Olympic qualification standard in brackets)

Male

52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt (Top 8) (qualified)

57kg Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim) (Top 8)

63kg George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)

69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois) (Top 6)

81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)

91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)

91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary) (Top 4)

Female

51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast) (Top 6)

57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 6)

69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC) (Top 5)

75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)

High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne

Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk

(Tournament postponed on March 16 because of the coronavirus outbreak)

 

 

Dear Clubs, County Boards and Provincial Councils.

The IABA Board of Directors met again today via teleconference and agreed that the cancellation of all boxing activities for affiliated bodies within the IABA (until after the 29th March 2020) will stay in place. This timeline will be reviewed in line Government and HSE guidance.

For clarity, this includes all championships, competition, organised training (indoor or outdoor) and any other boxing related events.

The Board has further directed that there will be no championships or competition allowed to take place at club, county, provincial or national level until at least June 2020. This timeline may too be extended.

The board of the IABA will continue to monitor the situation and follow the guidance issued by the HSE. We encourage all members to do likewise.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/coronavirus.html

Members who have specific concerns relating to the coronavirus should contact the HSE helpline to seek further advice/guidance Tel: 1850 24 1850.

The Board would like to thank all of our members for the concern they have shown for their communities in abiding by these directives.

Yours Sincerely,

Board of Directors, IABA.

 

 

 

 

Current WBC World heavyweight champion Tyson Fury was one of three Irish boxers to record wins away to Poland in Rzeszow on November 22, 2007.

Fury stopped Michael Jablonski in the third round. He also represented Ireland, and won, against the USA and in another international against Poland.

Michael Mullaney and John Joe Nevin also chalked up wins against Poland 13 years ago.

Nevin qualified for Beijing 2008 a year later and won silver at London 2012 and is the only Irish boxer besides Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan and Kellie Harrington to be ranked No. 1 in the world.

Nevin was only beaten at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics by the eventual champions.

Jimmy Moore, Gary McDonagh, Eamon Touhey, Ross Hickey, Mark Wickham, Fergal Redmond and Edward Healy also lined out for Ireland in Rzeszow.

 

Ten Irish boxers – including Brendan Irvine who qualified for Tokyo 2020 – will still be in play when the European qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 resume at the date and host city to be confirmed.

The 43-nation competition was postponed in London last Monday night because of the Coronavirus outbreak.

Kellie Harrington, Michaela Walsh, Aoife O’Rourke, George Bates, Aidan Walsh, Michael Nevin, Emmet Brennan, Kiril Afanasev and Dean Gardiner were scheduled to fight on the March 17 and March 18 but the tournament was shelved on March 16 after three days of competition.

Bates, who requires a top 8 finish, was one win away from booking a spot at the 32nd Olympiad.

Boxers requiring top 6 finishes must reach the semi-finals to automatically qualify. However, if they make the quarter-finals and lose they’ll box-off for the remaining places with the other beaten quarter-finalists.

There’s no ambiguity about the men’s heavy and super-heavy and women’s middle limits; they must finish in the top four (reach the semi-finals).

Belfast flyweight Brendan Irvine, meanwhile, qualified by virtue of finishing in the top eight after beating Hungary’s Istavan Szaka to join an illustrious cast of Irish boxers – beginning with Myles McDonagh (Army BC) and Cork’s Willie “Boy” Murphy (Army BC/Garda BC) at the Paris 1924 and Amsterdam 1928 Games – to become a two-time Olympian.

The “Boy” Murphy was born in India to Cork parents and also claimed an Egyptian middleweight belt when he was just 17.

Meanwhile, Irvine, the Irish captain in London, having achieved the prime objective of qualifying for Tokyo, and Spain’s Gabriel Escobar will meet in the European quarter-finals with at least bronze up for grabs.

16 flyweights and featherweights qualified for the 2020 Games last Monday night.

61 Olympic places remain to be claimed in Europe.

Overall, Ireland won six out of nine bouts in London, a 66% return.

 

 

European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020

Copperbox Arena London March 13/24

March 16

Last 32

69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) beat Pavel Kamanin (Spain) 5-0

75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) beat Pas der Van (Netherlands) 4-1

Last 16

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) beat Istavan Szaka (Hungary) 5-0

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) lost Charley Davison (Team Great Britain) 0-5

57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Hamsat Shadolov (Germany) 0-5

March 17

Last 16

(Postponed)

57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Mona Mestian (France)

60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Aneta Rygielska (Poland)

63kg George Bates (Ireland) v Javid Chalabiyev (Azerbaijan)

75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) v Viktoriya Kebikava (Belarus)

75kg Michael Nevin (Ireland) v Arman Darchinyan (Armenia)

81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) v Uke Smajli (Switzerland)

91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) V Emanual Reyes (Spain)

March 18

Last 16

(Postponed)

69kg Aidan Walsh (Ireland) v Wahid Hambli (France)

91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) v Petar Belberov (Bulgaria)

March 19

Q/Final

(Postponed)

52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) v Gabriel Escobar (Spain)

 

March 15

Last 32

63kg George Bates (Ireland) beat Leon Dominguez (Spain) RSCI1

81kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Radenko Tomic (Bosnia & Herzegovina) RSC2

91kg Kiril Afanasev (Ireland) beat Begadze Nikoloz (Georgia) 4-1

Last 16

69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Angela Carina (Italy) 0-5

Irish squad

(Olympic qualification standard in brackets)

Male

52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt (Top 8) (qualified)

57kg Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim) (Top 8)

63kg George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)

69kg Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois) (Top 6)

81kg Emmet Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)

91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)

91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary) (Top 4)

Female

51kg Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast) (Top 6)

57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)

60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 6)

69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC) (Top 5)

75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)

High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne

Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk