Boxing:Irish champion Ken Egan has withdrawn from the Irish squad to face Italy at the National Stadium tomorrow night after picking up the flu.
The Neilstown southpaw and Olympic silver medalist, who won his 10th Irish title last weekend, was due to meet Italian light heavyweight Simona Fiori but is now out of the two-match international. His replacement will be announced today.
Meantime, senior champions Gary Molloy, Paddy Barnes, John Joe Nevin, Ray Moylette, John Joe Joyce, Darren O’Neill, Con Sheehan and Cathal McMonagle have been called up to the Irish squad.
Both nations will meet again on Sunday night at the Donegal Celtic Club in Belfast. The Italians have named Olympic and World super-heavyweight champion Roberto Cammerelle in their squad.
Current World lightweight champion Domenic Valentino and 2007 World heavyweight champion Clemente Russo will also line out for the Azzuri in Dublin and Belfast.
Meanwhile World and European lightweight champ Katie Taylor and her Irish team mate Sinead Kavanagh advanced to the quarter-finals of the Usti nad Labem Grand Prix with preliminary round wins in the Czech Republic.
Taylor beat Sweden’s Kosovare Buzuku 8-0 and Drimnagh middleweight Kavanagh beat Martina Jindrova of the Czech Republic 9-7 in Usi nad Labem.