Irish captain Sean Mari and Brandon McCarthy bowed out of the World Elite Championships in Serbia today.

The Leinster pair were beaten by Hungary’s Aitila Bernath and Italy’s Gianluligi Malanga in Belgrade.

Mari was on the wrong end of a split decision reversal against Bernath and McCarthy dropped a unanimous decision to Malanga.

Irish team manager Peter O’Donnell said that both Mari and McCarthy left absolutely everything in the ring and they couldn’t ask for any more of them.

JP Hale is the next Irish boxer in action tomorrow.

AIBA World Elite Championships Belgrade Serbia

October 25th (Last 64)

67kh Eugene McKeever (Ireland) lost to Asadhuja Muydinkhajaev (Uzbekistan) 0-5

October 26th (Last 32)

51kg Sean Mari (Ireland) lost to Aitila Bernath (Hungary) 1-4

Last 64

63kg Brandon McCarthy (Ireland) lost to Gianluligi Malanga (Italy) 0-5

October 27th (Last 64)

JP Hale (Ireland) v Semiz Alicic (Serbia)

October 28th (Last 32)

57kg Adam Hession (Ireland) v Eduard Savvin (RBF)

October 30th Last 32)

Rickey Nesbitt (Ireland) v Nodrjon Mirakhmador (UzbekistaN0

Keylan Cassidy (Ireland v Arriaga OLvera (Mexico)

Irish squad

48 kg. Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family)

51 kg. Sean Mari (Monkstown)

57 kg. Adam Hession (Monieva)

60 kg. JP Hale (Star)

63kg. Brandon McCarthy (St Michaels Athy)

67 kg. Eugene McKeever (Holy Family)

80 Kg. Kelyan Cassidy (St Saviors/ Crystal)

IABA President, Dom O’Rourke

Team manager, Peter O’Donnell

Coaches, Zaur Antia, Dmitry Dimitruk, Eoin Pluck

EUGENE MCKEEVER lost out in his bid to reach the last 32 at the World Elites in Belgrade tonight.

The Irish welterweight was beaten on a 5-0 unanimous decision by Uzbekistan’s Asadhuja Muydinkhajaev.

The final scores read 30-27 x 4 and 29-28 to the Uzbek southpaw.

McKeever made the early running and found the target with some neat combination, but Muydinkhajaev was impressing with his shot selection and reach as the round progressed.

The Uzbek also took the second frame leaving McKeever with a mountain to climb going into the third, a stanza which Muydinkhajaev also won.

Sean Mari and Brandon McCarthy are next up tomorrow in the flyweight and light-welter categories.

AIBA World Elite Championships Belgrade Serbia

October 25th (Last 64)

67kh Eugene McKeever (Ireland) lost to Asadhuja Muydinkhajaev (Uzbekistan) 0-5

October 26th (Last 32)

51kg Sean Mari (Ireland) v Aitila Bernath (Hungary)

Last 64

63kg Brandon McCarthy (Ireland) v Gianluligi Malanga (Italy)

October 27th (Last 64)

JP Hale (Ireland) v Semiz Alicic (Serbia)

October 28th (Last 32)

57kg Adam Hession (Ireland) v Eduard Savvin (RBF)

October 30th Last 32)

Rickey Nesbitt (Ireland) v Nodrjon Mirakhmador (UzbekistaN0

Keylan Cassidy (Ireland v Arriaga OLvera (Mexico)

Irish squad

48 kg. Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family)

51 kg. Sean Mari (Monkstown)

57 kg. Adam Hession (Monieva)

60 kg. JP Hale (Star)

63kg. Brandon McCarthy (St Michaels Athy)

67 kg. Eugene McKeever (Holy Family)

80 Kg. Kelyan Cassidy (St Saviors/ Crystal)

IABA President, Dom O’Rourke

Team manager, Peter O’Donnell

Coaches, Zaur Antia, Dmitry Dimitruk, Eoin Pluck

Please scroll down for AIBA World Elite Championships draw.

Eugene McKeever gets Ireland’s campaign underway tomorrow night.

AIBA World Elite Championships Belgrade Serbia

October 25th (Last 64)

67kh Eugene McKeever (Ireland) v Asadhuja Muydinkhajaev (Uzbekistan)

October 26th (Last 32)

51kg Sean Mari (Ireland) v Aitila Bernath (Hungary)

Last 64

63kg Brandon McCarthy (Ireland) v Gianluligi Malanga (Italy)

October 27th (Last 64)

JP Hale (Ireland) v Semiz Alicic (Serbia)

October 28th (Last 32)

57kg Adam Hession (Ireland) v Eduard Savvin (RBF)

October 30th Last 32)

Rickey Nesbitt (Ireland) v Nodrjon Mirakhmador (UzbekistaN0

Keylan Cassidy (Ireland v Arriaga OLvera (Mexico)

Irish squad

48 kg. Ricky Nesbitt (Holy Family)

51 kg. Sean Mari (Monkstown)

57 kg. Adam Hession (Monieva)

60 kg. JP Hale (Star)

63kg. Brandon McCarthy (St Michaels Athy)

67 kg. Eugene McKeever (Holy Family)

80 Kg. Kelyan Cassidy (St Saviors/ Crystal)

IABA President, Dom O’Rourke

Team manager, Peter O’Donnell

Coaches, Zaur Antia, Dmitry Dimitruk, Eoin Pluck

The IABA are delighted to be involved with the Additional Needs High Five Boxing Academy pilot project. This initiative is being spearheaded by Paddy Dingle who has been involved with the sport of boxing for many years.

Not all children and young adults want to compete in boxing but many do enjoy the structure and enjoyment that boxing brings to their lives. People with additional needs are always searching for that safe structured environment where they can have fun doing an activity while also enjoying friendship and having opportunities to experience different levels of success depending on their own individual situation. The ‘High Five’ is their reward for success and when participants achieve in various aspects, they get rewarded with a high five. 

The long term goal of this pilot project is to expand it out to areas all over Ireland, North and South, and give participants an opportunity to experience participation and fitness in a fun and enjoyable way. Boxing Clubs throughout the country will hopefully make their premises and coaches available to assist in the roll out of this programme.

Palmerston, St. Catherines, Crumlin and Drimnagh Boxing Clubs are the four clubs where this pilot programme is commencing. Dublin Lord Mayor Alison Gilliland launched the initiative today (Saturday 23^rd October) in Drimnagh Boxing Club. Many of the local councillors and TD’s attended to support this initiative as did former Ireland soccer manager Brian Kerr whose father was a founding member of Drimnagh Boxing Club. 

Should you require further information about the Additional Needs High Five Boxing Academy, please contact patdingle@live.com

Symptomatic individuals should not attend training or competitions.

Covid-19 Officers will play a vital role in ensuring that all contact tracing data is collected and all Covid-19 protocols are being followed. They will remind individuals to continue promoting good respiratory and hand hygiene.

Training should take place in pods of 6 where individuals are not vaccinated or have mixed immunity status and there should be 3m between pods. Where all participants are vaccinated, no fixed capacity limits apply. Where mixed immunity exists, the coach should remain distant from all pods and have no close proximity interactions with any pod member. He/she can however oversee multiple pods once there are no interactions with any of them.

Inter club sparring can take place for all fully vaccinated individuals. Those not vaccinated must remain in their pods of 6.

Showers and changing rooms are permissible for fully vaccinated individuals. Where mixed immunity exists, the use of these should be pod based.

All appropriate protective measures and Covid-19 protocols should remain in place to mitigate the spread of the virus. Where equipment must be shared, appropriate sanitisation measures must remain in place. Wearing of masks should remain a priority especially for those not directly involved in the training or competition setting. Ventilation must also remain a priority as it’s a core component of the Covid-19 response. Doors and/or windows should be opened to ensure a passive air flow which will help mitigate the risk of virus spread. Consideration of indoor space densities and duration of indoor activities should be taken into account when planning events.

To attend indoor sporting activities, the use of the EU Digital COVID Certificate (vaccine or recovery certificate) will be required. All spectators should be fully seated.

For competitions, all boxers participating who don’t have proof of vaccination must undergo an antigen test. This gives a 48hr window before re-testing must occu