With under four weeks to go, and having already completed a 7 week bloc of training post the 2025 National Elite Competition, Team Ireland is kicking World Boxing Championship preparations up a gear.
Today, the High Performance Unit welcomed a composite team of male and female boxers from Hungary and Norway for a four day sparring and test match camp, including three Paris Olympian, Sunniva Hofstad of Norway and Hungary’s Hamorai Luca and Phylp Akilov, alongside Hungarian athletes Szabina Szucs, Istvan Szaka and Vladislava Kuchta.
While 9 members of the World Boxing Championship team will tomorrow depart for Heidleberg, Germany, for a 5 multi-nations sparring and test match camp, including Jenny Lehane, Grainne Walsh, Adam Hession, Dean Clancy, Matthew McCole, Brian Kennedy, Kelyn Cassidy and Jack Marley
And, from August 17th, Team Ireland will take part in a multi-nations training camp at the GB Training Centre in Sheffield as final preparations for the championships.
Contesting this Championships is made possible by IABA clubs’ decision in April to also affiliate to World Boxing, on a dual member basis. World Boxing, which will run boxing at the LA28 Olympic Games, affirmed IABA as a member in May.
National Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, says “Our boxers are in a great place – focused, technically and tactically prepared. They know what’s ahead of them and will continue their path building skill and fitness levels over the next 4 weeks, as we level-up preparations including hosting Norway and Hungary, travelling to Germany and taking part in the GB camp in Sheffield.”
World Boxing Championships
Boxing in the World Boxing Championships, taking place at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, begins on September 4th – culminating in finals on September 14th.
More than 500 boxers from over 60 countries are expected to take part in the competition which will be the first Elite-level global championships hosted by World Boxing, the new International Federation for Olympic style boxing. It will be the biggest Olympic-style boxing event to take place in Great Britain since the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The tournament will be the first time ever that male and female boxers have competed in Olympic-style boxing for the title of World Boxing Champion at the same event.
Prelim sessions will feature two rings, semi & finals sessions will feature one ring. Thursday, September 11th is a restday. Further details of when each category will be boxing will be confirmed shortly.
World Boxing is expected to live-stream the tournament on its YouTube channel HERE
Tickets for all days and sessions are available HERE
Team Ireland
51kg Daina Moorehouse, of Enniskerry BC, Wicklow.
54kg Jenny Lehane of DCU Boxing Club, Dublin.
57kg Michaela Walsh of Holy Family Golden Gloves BC Belfast.
60kg Zara Breslin of Tramore BC, Waterford.
65kg Grainne Walsh of St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin.
70kg Lisa O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke of Castlerea BC, Co. Roscommon
50kg Louis Rooney of Star BC, Belfast
55kg Patsy Joyce of Olympic BC, Mullingar Co. Westmeath
6okg Adam Hession of Monivea BC, Co. Galway
65kg Dean Clancy of Sean McDermott BC, Co. Leitrim.
70kg Matthew McCole of Illies Golden Glove BC Co. Donegal
75kg Gavin Rafferty of Dublin Docklands Boxing Club
80kg Kelyn Cassidy of Saviours Crystal BC, Co. Waterford
85kg Brian Kennedy of St. Brigid’s BC Edenderry Co. Offaly
90kg Jack Marley of Monkstown BC, Dublin
90+kg Martin McDonagh of Galway BC
Support Staff
- Team Manager: Jon Mackey, National Performance Director
- Head Coach: Zauri Antia
- Coaches: Damain Kennedy, Lynne McEnery, Eoin Pluck, James Doyle and JP Delaney
- Doctor: Jim Clover
- Lead Physio: Rob Tuomey
- Logistics Support: Sean Crowley, High Performance Manager