World Elite champion Michael Conlan (red) in action
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association are hosting a world class training camp with India, Kazakhstan, Great Britain and Germany at the Irish Institute of Sport in Abbotstown, Dublin in the build up to the World Women’s Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Kazakhstan later this month and world Olympic qualifier for men in Azerbaijan in June.
India arrived today. Kazakhstan fly in Friday and Team GB arrive Saturday. Russian southpaw Sofya Ochigava is also taking part in the training camp and will spar and train with Katie Taylor. Both women met in the 2011 and 2012 European, World and Olympic finals.
Four German boxers, light-fly Christos Cherakis, fly Hamza Touba, heavy David Graf and super-heavy Erik Pfeifer, arrive on May 10 with their coaching staff.
Ireland (6),Kazakhstan (11),Team GB (9),Germany (3), and India (1) have 30 boxers qualified for Rio 2016. All five nations will train and spar in Abbotstown.
So far, Paddy Barnes, Brendan Irvine, Michael Conlan, David Oliver Joyce, Steven Donnelly and Joe Ward are Ireland’s Rio 2016 Olympians.
The Irish women’s Elite team are currently in training camp at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield.
Three qualifiers remain before the start of the 2016 Olympic Games on August 5.
Training Camp Dates
India – May 3/18
Kazakhstan – May 6/17
Team GB – May 7/13
Germany May 10/17