57kg Adam Hession, the first of Ireland’s boxers in competition at the European Championships, recorded an opening bout win.
The Galway man was in action against Georgia’s Giorgi Kapanadze, and was dominant and decisive from the off, recording a 5-0 victory. The judges scored the bout: 30:27; 30:27; 29:28; 29:28; 30:27. Adam is in the ring in second series preliminaries on Sunday, when he contests against Vasile Usturoi of Belgium.
Heavyweight, Paris qualified Jack Marley, contested against, Belgian Victor Schelstraete – 2021 World bronze medalist. This was a testy and physical bout, which went to a bout review after the final bell. After an agonising wait, the 4:3 split decision went to the Belgian boxer. The judges scored the bout 30:27; 30:27; 28:29; 29:28; 28:29.
50kg Shannon Sweeney opens her campaign against Russia’s Geliusa Galieva at the preliminaries stage on Monday. On the same day and session (evening), 54kg Niamh Fay will begin her championships also against Russian opposition, in the form of Karina Tazabekova. Double Olympian, 57kg Michaela Walsh meets France’s Sthelyne Grosy in her opening bout, also on Monday.
Reigning lightweight Olympic champion and Paris Olympian, Kellie Harrington, has a bye to the quarter finals – she’ll face either Italy’s Rebecca Nicoli or Turkey’s Ozer Gizem in a bout for a podium place on Tuesday. Team flag bearer, 66kg Lisa O’Rourke, also has a bye, and will contest her quarter final on the same day, against Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelov. Lisa’s sister, double Olympian Aoife O’Rourke is also in quarter final action on the 23rd, contesting against the winner of the preliminary bout between Hungary and Poland.
Paris Olympian, 63.5kg Dean Clancy has a bye to the second series preliminaries and contests his opening bout on Sunday against IBA boxer, Abdul Fawaz Aborode. 71kg Eugene McKeever boxes Poland’s Matesuz Daniel Urban in his prelim, on Saturday.
In all, 337 boxers are contesting the tournament, 121 women and 216 men, from countries: Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, France, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, Russia, Scotland, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and Turkey.
April 26th is a rest day, and finals will be boxed on April 28th.
Prize money will be awarded in all weight categories, from quarter finalists to champions. Those finishing at the QF stage will receive $1,000; bronze medalists will be awarded $5,000 apiece. Winning silver means a $10,000 award, and champions will get $15,000.
Day Two
One Team Ireland boxer is in action on Friday – 51kg Rickey Nesbit makes his debut at the tournament in Friday’s preliminaries, against Turkey’s Samet Gumus. He is in action in Bout 1 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session, beginning at 2pm, Irish time.
Programme
Watch
Ring A
Ring B
Team
50kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, Mayo
54kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
60kg Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
66kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
51kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family BC, Drogheda
57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway
63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
71kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda
92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
Draws are available here
Session 1A results
Session 2B results