It was a tough day of learning and development at Stranda for Team Ireland.
261 boxers from 28 federations will contest the tournament, hosted in Sofia by the Bulgarian Boxing Federation. Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Bulgaria, China, France, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Nigeria, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tukey, Turkey and Uzbekistan have all fielded teams.
First up today was 57kg Adam Hession, making his tournament debut against 2016 Olympian and Asian Confederation champ, Mongolia’s Karkhuu Enkh-Aman. This was a tough bout for Adam, in which he put in a brave performance. The decision, 5-0, went to his opponent. The final scorecards: 28:28 *; 27:29; 28:28 *; 28:28 *; 25:29.
Paris-bound 63.5kg Dean Clancy met Uzbekistan’s Adkhamjon Mukhiddinov, a 2022 Asian Confederation lightweight bronze medalist. A boisterous bout, judges found in favour of Mukhiddinov, 5-0. The contest was scored: 30:27; 29:28; 30:27; 30:27; 29:28.
92+kg Martin McDonagh, in his first tournament at this level, met Ukraine’s Andrii Khaletskyi. Martin won’t progress following a 4-1 split decision in favour of his opponent, with the Indian official finding in Martin’s favour: 27:30; 27:30; 30:27; 27:30; 28:29.
Day Four
Two Team Ireland boxers make their debut at the tournament on Wednesday. 51kg Rickey Nesbitt is in action – he contests against Uzbekistan’s Asilbek Jalilov in Bout 4 of Ring B’s afternoon session, Holy Family Drogheda clubmate, 71kg Eugene McKeever, in between the ropes directly thereafter, in Bout 5, against Moldova’s Davron Bozorov.
Watch
The Bulgarian Boxing Federation is streaming the tournament on its YouTube Channel – links, per ring and session, become available on the day of boxing. The afternoon session begins at 12pm, Irish time, and the evening session at 2.30pm, Irish time.
Team
50kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Mayo*
54kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
66kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
51kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family BC, Drogheda
57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway
63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
71kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda
92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
92+kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin, Dublin.
Draws are available here
Day One: Team Ireland didn’t box.
Day Two results are here
Session 9A results
Session 10B results