(JULY 1) The 2nd European
Games ended in Minsk, Belarus on Sunday and both GB Boxing and
Team Ireland had many medals to display when they arrived back
on home soil. Altogether 317 boxers including 59 women attended
in the European Games from a record number of 44 nations in
Minsk, Belarus.
Irish boxing deposited another
six medals in its 2019 Euro account over the weekend.
A half dozen medals were claimed at the 2nd European Games in
Minsk.
Kurt Walker (gold), Kellie Harrington (silver) Michaela Walsh
(silver), Michael Nevin (bronze), Regan Buckley (bronze) and
Grainne Walsh (bronze) finished in podium positions.
Bernard Dunne, IABA High-Performance Director, said the squad
performed magnificently against Europe’s finest.
Ireland arrived home via Dublin Airport Monday morning. IABA
President Dom O’Rourke and CEO Fergal Carruth hailed the
performances of the team at the 2nd edition of the Games.
The weekend’s haul improves Irish boxing into double figures for
the European Games as four medals were won at Baku 2019,
including Golds for Katie Taylor and Michael O'Reilly
Head coach Zaur Antia, who worked Ireland’s corner at Baku 2015,
John Conlan and Dimitry Dimitruk worked Ireland’s corner at
Minsk 2019.
The total count in European Elite, European U/22 and European
Junior competition since March now stands at 16 medals – 4 gold,
3 silver, and 9 bronze.
Ireland’s 2019 European boxing champions so far are Amy
Broadhurst, Chloe Gabriel, Michael Donoghue, and Kurt Walker.
Next up is the European Women’s Elite Championships in
Alcobendas City near Madrid, Spain (August 22/September 1) and
the European Schoolboy/girl Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia
(August 2/12)
Meantime GB Boxing is also happy with its medal haul including
two Golds reporting that:
"Golds for Pat McCormack and Lauren Price capped a superb week
for Team GB’s boxers as they won seven medals at the European
Games in Minsk
McCormack convincingly outpointed Russia’s Kharlton Agrba to
score a unanimous victory in Saturday’s welterweight final.
Price closed the boxing tournament with a split decision win
over 2016 Olympic silver medallist, Nouchka Fontijn, of Holland
in the women’s middleweight final.
It finished off an excellent week for Great Britain’s boxers
which saw the team win seven medals".
European Games 2019 Minsk, Belarus (June 21/30)
Irish squad:
Female
57kg Michaela Walsh (Monkstown, Antrim)(Silver)
60kg Kellie Harrington (St Mary’s, Dublin)(Silver)
69kg Gráinne Walsh (Spartacus), Offaly) Bronze)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Castlerea, Roscommon)
Male:
49kg Regan Buckley (St Teresa’s, Bray, Wicklow)(Bronze)
56kg Kurt Walker (Canal, Belfast, Antrim(Gold)
64kg James McGivern (St George’s, Belfast, Antrim)
69kg Kieran Molloy (Oughterard, Galway)
75kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise, Laois )(Bronze)
91kg Tony Browne (St Michael’s Dublin)
91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Clonmel,Tipperary)
Team Manager: Bernard Dunne
Head Coach: Zaur Antia, Coaches: John Conlan, Dmitry Dimitruk
Medals Table Finish: 5th
Nations competing: 44
