Ireland will play its part in the 100th anniversary celebrations of Swedish boxing this weekend.

Five athletes, including Elite champion Aoife O’Rourke, have been named in the Ireland squad to take on the Swedes at the Nalen dance palace on Regeringsgatan in Stockholm on Saturday.

The Swedish Boxing Federation (SBF) invited Ireland and England to their 100th birthday party.

”The celebration of SBF’s 100th anniversary will among other things include a large award ceremony in the direction of Aktiva and Ledare, but also international stands on the program in the form of matches against both England and Ireland,” said the SBF.

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association extend best wishes to their Swedish counterparts on the occasion of their Centenary.

Team Ireland, pictured above, left for Stockholm today.

Please click here for program.

Irish squad

69kg Aiden Walsh (Monkstown)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea)
81kg Thomas O’Toole (Celtic Eagles)
91kg Kiril Afanasev (Smithfield)

Coaches: Dmitry Dimitruk and Michael Mongan

R&J Malachy Scott

 

Carly McNaul and Michaela Walsh upgraded their guaranteed bronze medals to at least silver at the Chemistry World Cup in Cologne, Germany this afternoon.

McNaul saw off highly rated Indian flyweight Pinki Raini on points after a slug fest and Walsh followed that with a points win over Romanian feather Lenuta Lacramioara over three, three minute rounds.

McNaul, who has won three fights in three days so far, is back in action for gold versus Armenia tomorrow and two-time Commonwealth finalist Walsh meets India for the 57kg title.

The exact scores will be confirmed later (scores not being announced at end of bouts).

Both women are the first Irish female boxers to medal at the Chemistry Cup, which has since been rebranded as the World Cup and moved from Halle to Cologne for the 45th edition of the tournament.

Women boxed at the 2011 Chemistry Cup.

McNaul and Walsh now join a roster of legendary Irish boxers, almost all Olympians, to reach Chemistry Cup finals.

These include Wayne McCullough (1992), Michael Roche (2000), Ken Egan (2006), Joe Ward (2012), Joe Ward and David Oliver Joyce (2014) and Kiril Afanasev (2018).

So far, Ward (2 titles) and Joyce are the only Irish boxers to have won gold at this level.

Meantime, Joe Ward and Tony Browne are in semi-final action tonight.

Team Ireland are due to arrive home via Dublin Airport at 6pm on Sunday.

(Images courtesy of Margit Kincses)

Chemistry Cup (World Cup) Cologne, Germany

April 13

Finals

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Anush Grigoryan (Armenia)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Sa Sakshi (India)

April 12

S/Finals

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Pinki Rani (India) 3-2
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Lenuta Lacramioara (Romania) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Abu-Lubdeh Abdulrahman (Germany)
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) v Brandon Ress (Australia)

April 11

Q/Finals

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Mungustsetseg Enkhjargal (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Delgerkhnga Khongorzul (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Albert Batyrgaziev (Russia) 0-5
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Liu Yang (China) 0-5
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) lost to Nadine Apetz (Germany) 2-3
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 0-5
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Jilei Zhang (China) 5-0
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) beat Zhiabao Wang (China) RET2

April 10

Last 16

56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Eric Petrosyan (Armenia) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Angelika Krysztoforska (Poland) 5-0
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Jorge Moiran (Cuba) 2-3
63kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Enrico La Cruz (Netherlands) 0-5
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Otgonbaatar Bymba (Mongolia) 0-4
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Sergei Egorov (Russia) 2-3
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) lost to Galai Yafai (England) 0-5
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Rafael Perczynski (Poland) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Piotr Sczukowski (Poland) 5-0

Irish squad

51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family) (Silver, at least)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown) (Silver, at least)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg James McGivern (St Georges)
63kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Emmet Brennan (Glasnevin)
81kg Joe Ward (Spartacus) (Bronze, at least)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s) (Bronze, at least)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zuar Antia, John Conlan, Damian Kennedy
Physiotherapist: Muireann Harte
Physiologist: Damain Martin

 

Joe Ward, Anthony Browne, Michaela Walsh and Carly McNaul are guaranteed at least four bronze medals at the Chemistry World Cup in Cologne, Germany.

The Irish quartet all won their quarter-finals today and evening and will be aiming to upgrade to at least silver tomorrow.

European Elite champion Ward, now two wins away from claiming a third Chemistry Cup gold, was the last Irish boxer in action tonight and comfortably beat China’s Jilei Zhang on a unanimous decision in the light heavy class.

Please click here for today’s results and Friday’s semi-finals schedule.

Dublin heavyweight Browne secured Ireland’s first medal of the 21-nation tournament after Zhiabao Wang’s quit – his corner threw in the towel – at the start of the second round earlier today.

“His corner retired him. I felt comfortable in there and look forward to putting in another performance for Team Ireland here tomorrow,” said Browne who was 10-9 ahead on all five cards at the end of the first.

McNaul and Walsh outpointed Mongolian pair Delgerkhnga Khongorzul and Mungustsetseg Enkhjargal in the feather and fly class to advance to the last four.

Walsh clearly hurt Khongorzul with a body shot in the second frame and rocked the Asian with a big right hook to the head in the third in a dominant performance from the EU champion.

But Kurt Walker, also an EU titlist, admitted he began too sluggishly versus Russian feather Albert Batyrgaziev, while Irish welters Christina Desmond and Grainne Walsh were beaten on unanimous and split verdicts early this morning.

”I started off too slow, I came well into it in the second and the third. The first round left me down. I’m happy to get two quality fights here. It will improve me for the European Games,” said Walker.

Emmett Brennan finished out the third round on the front foot against Gleb Bakshi but the Russian middleweight had enough in the bank to advance to the 75kg semi-finals.

Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director, hailed the performances of all the Irish boxers in action on a marathon day of boxing which began at 9am this morning and finishes at approximately 11pm tonight.

All images courtesy of Margit Kincses.

Images: Michael Walsh and Irish coaching staff, Kurt Walker, Carly McNaul, Christina Desmond, Grainne Walsh, Irish coaches today

 

Chemistry Cup (World Cup) Cologne, Germany

April 12

S/Finals
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Pinki Rani (India)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Lenuta Lacramioara (Romania)
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Abu-Lubdeh Abdulrahman (Germany)
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) v Brandon Ress (Australia)

April 11

Q/Finals

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Mungustsetseg Enkhjargal (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) beat Delgerkhnga Khongorzul (Mongolia) 5-0
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) lost to Albert Batyrgaziev (Russia) 0-5
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) lost to Liu Yang (China) 0-5
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) lost to Nadine Apetz (Germany) 2-3
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) lost to Gleb Bakshi (Russia) 0-5
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Jilei Zhang (China) 5-0
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) beat Zhiabao Wang (China) RET2

April 10

Last 16

56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Eric Petrosyan (Armenia) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Angelika Krysztoforska (Poland) 5-0
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Jorge Moiran (Cuba) 2-3
63kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Enrico La Cruz (Netherlands) 0-5
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Otgonbaatar Bymba (Mongolia) 0-4
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Sergei Egorov (Russia) 2-3
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) lost to Galai Yafai (England) 0-5
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Rafael Perczynski (Poland) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Piotr Sczukowski (Poland) 5-0

Irish squad

51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family) (Bronze, at least)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown) (Bronze, at least)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg James McGivern (St Georges)
63kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Emmet Brennan (Glasnevin)
81kg Joe Ward (Spartacus) (Bronze, at least)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s) (Bronze, at least)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zuar Antia, John Conlan, Damian Kennedy
Physiotherapist: Muireann Harte
Physiologist: Damain Martin

 

 

 

 

Current European and EU Elite Championships Joe Ward and Kurt Walker, pictured above (blue) in action today, are through to the last eight of the Chemistry Cup after racking up unanimous decisions in Cologne, Germany this afternoon and evening.

Carly McNaul and Emmet Brennan also took all five judges with them en route to victory.

But Rio Olympian Brendan Irvine, Wayne Kelly, Kieran Molloy, James McGivern and Dean Gardiner bowed out at the last 16 stages.

Kelly and Gardiner produced top-class performances against Cuba’s Jorge Moiran and Russia’s Sergei Egorov but lost by the narrowest of margins – 3-2 split verdicts.

Irvine, in his first international fight back since injuring his hand last May, dropped a unanimous call to highly rated English flyweight Galai Yafai.

Walker and McNaul recorded two straight wins versus Armenian feather Eric Petrosyan and Polish flyweight Angelika Krysztoforska in the opening two sessions.

And Brennan and Ward, who is aiming for his third gold medal at this level, claimed two wins on the trot over Polish pair Rafael Perczynski and Piotr Sczukowski in the third and final session of the day.

Ward, Brennan, McNaul and Walker will be back in action tomorrow along with Christina Desmond, Grainne Walsh, Anthony Brown and Michaela Walsh.

The 21-nation Chemistry Cup, which has been rebranded as the World Cup, runs straight through until the finals on Saturday.

Click here for results and Day 2 schedule. The quarter-finals will be decided over three sessions. Boxing begins at 9am (Irish time) in the morning.

(Walker image courtesy of Margit Kincses)

Chemistry Cup (World Cup) Cologne, Germany

April 10

Last 16

56kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) beat Eric Petrosyan (Armenia) 5-0
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) beat Angelika Krysztoforska (Poland) 5-0
63kg Wayne Kelly (Ireland) lost to Jorge Moiran (Cuba) 2-3
63kg James McGivern (Ireland) lost to Enrico La Cruz (Netherlands) 0-5
69kg Kieran Molloy (Ireland) lost to Otgonbaatar Bymba (Mongolia) 0-4
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) lost to Sergei Egorov (Russia) 2-3
52kg Brendan Irvine (Ireland) lost to Galai Yafai (England) 0-5
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) beat Rafael Perczynski (Poland) 5-0
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) beat Piotr Sczukowski (Poland) 5-0

April 11

Q/Finals

51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Enkh Enkhjargal (Mongolia
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Delgerkhnga Khongorzul (Mongolia)
57kg Kurt Walker (Ireland) v Albert Batyrgaziev (Russia)
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) v Liu Yang (China)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Ireland) v Nadine Apetz (Germany)
75kg Emmet Brennan (Ireland) v Gleb Bakshi (Russia)
81kg Joe Ward (Ireland) v Jilei Zhang (China)
91kg Anthony Browne (Ireland) v Zhiabao Wang (China)

Irish squad

51kg Carly McNaul (Holy Family)
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown)
69kg Christina Desmond (Fr Horgan’s)
69kg Grainne Walsh (Spartacus)
52kg Brendan Irvine (St Paul’s)
57kg Kurt Walker (Canal)
63kg James McGivern (St Georges)
63kg Wayne Kelly (Portlaoise)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard)
75kg Emmet Brennan (Glasnevin)
81kg Joe Ward (Spartacus)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Coaches: Zuar Antia, John Conlan, Damian Kennedy
Physiotherapist: Muireann Harte
Physiologist: Damain Martin