Sport

Ireland squad win eight out of ten

BOXING : IRELAND’S Elite boxers claimed eight wins out of ten in Turkey over the weekend and are closing in on the business …

Mon Jun 20 2011 - 01:00

BOXING: IRELAND'S Elite boxers claimed eight wins out of ten in Turkey over the weekend and are closing in on the business end of 2011 European Senior Championships in Ankara.

Team captain Darren O’Neill, Michael Conlon and Willie McLaughlin all won yesterday to advance to the last-16 and quarter final stage of the tournament.

Belfast flyweight Michael Conlon produced a magnificent final round to stun England’s ex World Cadet champ Khalid Yafai yesterday to march into the last eight.

Described by Irish coach Jimmy Halpin as an uncut diamond, Conlon, of the St John Bosco BC, hammered out an 19-10 decision over the Beijing Olympian and 2010 European silver medallist.

READ MORE

“It was a absolutely brilliant performance from Michael. The first two rounds were fairly close but he ran away with the third. It was an incredible performance,” said IABA director of boxing Dominic O’Rourke.

Conlon will now meet Italy’s Vincenzo Picardi in the quarter-finals tomorrow just one win away from claiming at least bronze.

Conlon was joined in the last-eight by Willie McLaughlin, following the Donegal welterweight’s 20-14 verdict over Borna Katalinicof Croatia yesterday.

The Illies GG ace will now meet Zaal Kvachatadze of Georgia tomorrow. McLaughlin’s win stretched Ireland’s unbeaten run to seven from seven fights since Friday.

Meantime, Kilkenny southpaw O’Neill progressed to the last-16 in Ankara with a convincing 16-9 win over Germany’s Denis Radovan in the middleweight class on Sunday.

The 2009 EU champ, a silver medal winner at the 2010 European Championships, forced Radovan into a standing count in the second round of the 75Kg duel.

Dublin lightweight Michael McDonagh bowed out following a 16-6 reversal to Valodymyr Matvichuk of the Ukraine yesterday, while Con Sheehan lost 22-19 to Russian heavyweight Abdulkhamid Nurmagomedov.

World Youth champ Joe Ward meets Ainar Karlson of Estonia today in a repeat of the Ireland v Estonia 2010 European Championships quarter-final which Ken Egan won 7-4 en route to bronze in Moscow.

John Joe Nevin, Ray Moylette, Cathal McMonagle and O’Neill will also be between the ropes for last-16 clashes today. The quarter-finals will be held tomorrow with the semi-finals and finals pencilled in for Thursday and Friday.