There will be no school girl training this weekend.
qWith Provincial and National championships taking place over the next few weeks, training will not resume until after those events.
COUNTDOWN TO TOKYO QUALIFIERS CONTINUES IN LONDON
The Irish Elite squad completed their first training session in London last evening in the build-up to the qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
Team Ireland arrived in London yesterday ahead of the start of the European qualifiers at the Coppebox Arena.
The draw will be made tomorrow at 4 pm. Boxing begins Saturday.
At least 40 nations and over 300 boxers, including Ireland’s thirteen-strong male and female squad, will battle it out in the English capital.
Seven of the 13 Olympic weights (the limits that require top 6 and top 5 finishes) will require box-offs between the losing quarter-finalist to determine the final placings.
Athletes in the other six weights need to reach the quarter-finals or semi-finals (top 8 and top 4).
A total of 77 Olympic places – 50 for men and 27 for women – will be on the line at a tournament expected to match the quality and intensity of a European Elite Championships – with Olympic tickets thrown into the mix.
Meanwhile, 96 of the 286 Tokyo 2020 berths have been earned following the completion of the Asia/Oceania qualifiers in Amman, Jordan this week and the recent African qualifier in Dakar, Senegal.
The final Americas Contontinental qualifier has been postponed because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Task Force for Boxing (BTF).
“We assure you that the BTF is doing its utmost to find the best solution,” part of BTF statement read.
The final world qualifier is scheduled for Paris in May.
European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020 schedule
European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020
Copperbox Arena London March 13/24
Irish squad
(Olympic qualification standards in brackets)
Male
52kg – Flyweight – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt (Top 8)
57kg – Featherweight – Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim) (Top 8)
63kg – Light-welterweight – George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin) (Top 8)
69kg – Welterweight – Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
75kg – Middleweight – Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois) (Top 6)
81kg – Light-heavyweight – Emmett Brennan (Dublin Docklands) (Top 6)
91kg – Heavyweight – Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin) (Top 4)
91+kg – Super-heavyweight – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary) (Top 4)
Female
51kg – Flyweight- Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast) (Top 6)
57kg – Featherweight – Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim) (Top 6)
60kg – Lightweight – Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin) (top 6)
69kg – Welterweight – Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC) (Top 5)
75kg – Middleweight – Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon) (Top 4)
High-Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk
GAEL GLOVES – FEMALE BOXING TOURNAMENT
Please see attachment for details of a new Female only Box Cup being run in April (Wed 8th – Thurs 9th during the Easter break)
IRELAND ON WAY TO LONDON FOR OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
The Irish Elite squad are en route to London this afternoon ahead of the opening bell for the European qualifiers for Tokyo 2020.
Boxing begins Saturday at the Copperbox Arena where 77 Olympics places – 50 for men and 27 for women – will be up for grabs.
Over 40 nations and 300 boxers will be between the ropes in the English capital.
The squad is eagerly looking forward to the tournament, according to Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director.
“The whole team has been performing really well. It’s fine-tuning now. You can see now that it has become very real and the level of attention and focus has really sharpened,” he said.
“We’ll just take it one fight at a time. We’ll take each fight as it comes.”
Rio 2016 Olympian Brendan Irvine will captain the Irish side in London.
The draw for the tournament will be made at 4pm on Friday with preliminary round boxing beginning 24 hours later.
Images: Irish squad at Dublin Airport today.
European Qualifiers for Tokyo 2020
Copperbox Arena London March 13/24
Irish squad
Male
52kg – Flyweight – Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s, Antrim) Cpt
57kg – Featherweight – Kurt Walker (Canal, Antrim)
63kg – Light-welterweight – George Bates (St Mary’s, Dublin)
69kg – Welterweight – Aidan Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)
75kg – Middleweight – Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois)
81kg – Light-heavyweight – Emmett Brennan (Dublin Docklands)
91kg – Heavyweight – Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield, Dublin)
91+kg – Super-heavyweight – Dean Gardiner (Clonmel, Tipperary)
Female
51kg – Flyweight- Carly McNaul (Ormeau Road, Belfast)
57kg – Featherweight – Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)
60kg – Lightweight – Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin)
69kg – Welterweight – Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s, Cork, Garda BC)
75kg – Middleweight – Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon)
High Performance Director: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zaur Antia, John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk
POLAND TO HOST 2020 WORLD YOUTHS
The 2020 World Men’s and Women’s Youth Championships will be held in Kielce, Poland, according to the International Boxing Association.
Poland and Nicaragua were in the running to host the biennial event but Poland got the decision.
The tournament is scheduled for November 2/9 at the 3,000 capacity Hala Legionow Sports Complex in Kielce.
Jude Gallagher claimed bronze for Ireland at the 2018 World Men’s and Women’s Youths in Hungary.
The current Irish Elite champion was shaded on a split decision by Thailand’s eventual gold medallist Thitisan Panmod in the light fly semi-final in Budapest.