Titanic performance by Team Ireland Women’s World Championship debutant.

09/03/2025IABA NewsIABA

Team Ireland superheavy, Judy Bobbet, put in a massive performance in her debut on the world stage. In so doing, Judy has joined a select group of Irish athletes on entering the field of play. She’s become one of the few to contest for Ireland at the highest level in two sports – given that Judy is a former Irish rugby international, with test match and Six Nations caps.

25 year old Judy boxed her first benchmark bout against 37 year old five time world medalist and double European champion, Turkey’s Elif Guneri. Judy showed power, courage and skill, but Guneri’s experience won out. Judges scored the bout 30:27; 30:27; 29:28; 29:28; 30:27

Of the Team Ireland boxers yet to being their campaigns: 50kg Daina Moorehouse has a bye, and begins her tournament in the Last 16, against China’s 8th seeded Hu M. There’s a last 16 start for Olympian, 66kg Grainne Walsh – she’s between the ropes against Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova. Khamidova is a fellow Olympian, the reigning Asian champ and medaled at the 2023 Women’s Worlds. 2022 World Champion, 70kg Lisa O’Rourke starts at the Last 16 stage against Azerbaijan’s Aynur Rzayeva – 2016 European Women’s champ at 81+kg; the 2022 European silver medalist, and a 2023 Women’s World bronze medalist. Lisa’s sister, double Olympian 75kg Aoife O’Rourke, is the top seed in her weight. As such, she has a bye to the quarter finals. She’ll meet the winner of the contest between Bulgaria and Uzbekhistan

239 boxers from 51 federations are contesting the tournament; in 2023, the last iteration of these championships, 324 boxers from 64 federations competed.

March 15th is a rest day at the tournament, and all finals will be boxed on Sunday, March 16th.

Day Two

Three Team Ireland boxers between the ropes on Monday: 48kg Carleigh Irving, the 2024 European U23 silver medalist, opens her tournament at Last 32 stage, against Venezuela’s Tayonis Cendeno Rojas, who has recently dropped down from 50kg. That’s Bout 2 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session.

54kg Paris Olympian, Jenny Lehane, gets underway in the last 32, against Thailand’s Natnicha Chongprongklang, the 2024 Asian champion at the weight. That’s Bout 7 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session.

In Ring B’s Evening Session, double Olympian, Michaela Walsh, faces home opposition in her opening bout in the last 32; she contests against Andjela Brankovic in Bout 8.

Programmme

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Watch

Afternoon Sessions begin at 1pm, Irish time. Evening Sessions start at 5pm.

Ring A – Afternoon Session

Ring B – Afternoon Session