Boxing:Irish boxers Ceire Smith and Sinead Kavanagh will get their Olympic qualifiers underway at the 7th AIBA World Women's Championships in Qinhuangdao, China, tomorrow, but Katie Taylor is not due in action until Monday.
World number one and three-time world champion Taylor received a bye into the last 32 of the lightweight division when the draw was made this morning, meaning she as the weekend free before opening the defence of her title against either Rim Jouini (Tunisia) or Juliana da Rocha Canedo (Portugal), who fight tomorrow.
The lightweight category, along with the Smith’s flyweight and Kavanagh’s middleweight classes, is one of the three Olympic weight categories for women.
Cavan’s Smith will face Veglina Svetlana of Tajikistan in the last 64 tomorrow afternoon, while Drimnagh’s Kavanagh is due to meet Francelis Paez Carmona of Venezuela.
Three Olympic places are available in each of the three weight categories for European boxers.
7th AIBA World Women’s Championships Qinhuangdao, China
May 12th (Afternoon)
51kg (last 64)
Ceire Smith (Ireland) v Veglina Svetlana (Tajikistan)
75kg (last 64)
Sinead Kavanagh (Ireland) v Francelis Paez Carmona (Venezuela)
May 14th (Afternoon)
60Kg (Last 32)
Katie Taylor (Ireland) versus Rim Jouini (Tunisia) / Juliana da Rocha Canedo (Portugal)