The draw has taken place in Ostrava for the 2025 European U19 Championships – 105 female and 189 male boxers from 33 nations are competiting.
The participating nations are: Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.
The tournament, the first ever European U19 benchmark competition, will take place at the Černá Louka Arena in Ostrava, in the Czech Republic/Czechia from September 30th to October 9th. Preliminaries and quarter finals will be boxed September 30th to October 5th. Monday, October 6th will be a rest day, and all semi-finals will be boxed across the 7th and 8th. Finals will take place from 3pm on Sunday, October 9th. All afternoon sessions will begin at 1pm, Irish time, and all evening sessions will get underway at 5pm.
Team Ireland’s preparations have included a 6 week bloc of squad training, and a mulit-day sparring camp with the England Boxing U19 squad at the GB Olympic Training Centre in Sheffield.
48kg Chloe Cox, of Setanta BC, Co. Kildare has a bye opens her account at quarter final stage against Azerbaijan’s Naisrli Banuchichak on October 4th. 50kg Kurt Kinsella of Monkstown BC Dublin also takes on Azerbaijani opposition in his opening contest. He begins at Last 16 stage in a division of 15 boxers, contesting against Bilalhabasi Nazarov on October 1st.
51kg Kayleigh Byrne of Gorey BC, Co. Wexford is first in action on October 1st in a Last 16 bout against Turkey’s Emine Kilinc. 55kg Michael Reilly of St. Paul’s BC, Co. Waterford has a bye to the Last 16, and contests his first bout against Yanko Metodiev Illiev of Bulgaria. 57kg Grace Conway, of Tredagh BC, Co. Louth is in Last 16 action against Italy’s Martina di Felice on October 1st.
60kg Sean McCusker of Dealgan BC, Co. Louth opens his campaign on Tuesday, against England – likewise 65kg John Donoghue of Olympic BC, Co. Westmeath against Albania. 70kg Katelyn Butler of St. Colman’s BC Co. Cork begins her tournament at quarter finals level, against Ukraine’s Anastasiia Taran on October 4th.
Team Co-Captain 70kg Patrick Kelly of St. Abban’s/Kilmyshall BC Co. Wexford is in action on the opening day of the tournament on Tuesday against Romania – also in action tomorrow is 75kg Jason Whelan of Dublin Docklands BC. 75kg Nessa Tabachuk of Celtic Eagles BC, Co. Galway has a bye to the semi finals and will come home with at least a bronze medal. She first be in action on October 8th, taking on the winner of the meeting between Italy and Poland.
85kg Chulainn McDonnell of Whitechurch BC, Dublin is in Last 16 action on October 3rd against Greece’s Ioannis Poumpouridis – while 90kg Shay O’Dowd of Swords BC Dublin is in action in the Last 16 on the same day against Buglaria’s Genadiev Roselin Bachevski.
Draws
Day One
Four Team Ireland boxers are in action on the opening day in Ostrava
70kg Team Co-Captain Patrick Kelly opens his account against Romania’s Daniel Adrian Grigorie in Bout 6 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session. Over in Ring B in the same session, 60kg Sean McCusker meets England’s Isaac Suwit Huczmann in Bout 3.
65kg John Donoghue is in action in Bout 3 of Ring A’s Evening Session, against Albania’s Juren Lazri. While 75kg Jason Whelan begins his campaign in Bout 2 Ring B’s Evening Session against Brendon Berki of Hungary.
Tomorrow’s Afternoon Session beginst at 1pm, and the Evening Session starts at 5pm.
Programme
Watch Live
Team Ireland
48kg Chloe Cox, Setanta BC, Co. Kildare
50kg Kurt Kinsella, Monkstown BC Dublin
51kg Kayleigh Byrne, Gorey BC, Co. Wexford
55kg Michael Reilly. St. Paul’s BC, Co. Waterford
57kg Grace Conway, Tredagh BC, Co. Louth
60kg Sean McCusker, Dealgan BC, Co. Louth
65kg John Donoghue, Olympic BC, Co. Westmeath
70kg Katelyn Butler, St. Colman’s BC Co. Cork
70kg Patrick Kelly, St. Abban’s/Kilmyshall BC Co. Wexford
75kg Nessa Tabachuk, Celtic Eagles BC, Co. Galway
75kg Jason Whelan, Dublin Docklands BC
85kg Chulainn McDonnell, Whitechurch BC, Dublin
90kg Shay O’Dowd, Swords BC Dublin
Support staff:
Team Manager: Jennifer O’Sullivan, Sliabh Luachra BC, Kerry
Coaches: Liam Cunningham, Saints ABC, Belfast; Ralph McKay, St. Paul’s BC, Belfast; Aoife Hennigan. Swinford BC, Co. Mayo; Garry Keogh, Marble City BC, Co. Kilkenny