WORLD ELITE SEMI-FINALS

 

The boxers that decision-ed Ireland’s Ceire Smith, Michaela Walsh, Amy Broadhurst and Christina Desmond are guaranteed at least bronze at the World Women’s Elites in Siberia.

North Korea’s Mi Choi Pang, the defending World champion and No. 1 seed who edged Smith on a 3-2 split, Russia’s Liudmila Vorontsova, Finland’s Mira Potkonen and Turkey’s Busenas Surmeneli who beat Walsh, Broadhurst and Smith, will be aiming to upgrade to at least silver in Saturday’s semi-finals.

The IABA wishes the Asian and European quartet the best of luck in the last four. The finals will be decided on Sunday.

Click here for Saturday’s schedule.

Team Ireland won six of their ten bouts at the 11th edition of the tournament.

The squad are scheduled to arrive home via Dublin Aport on Monday night.

Meanwhile, a new nation – Brazil, Finland, USA or China – will claim the lightweight (60kg)  this weekend.

Ireland has dominated the lightweight limit since the inaugural tournament in the USA in 2001, courtesy of five wins for Katie Taylor and one for Kellie Harrington.

Canada has won 60kg gold twice and Russia and France once.