Donoghue targets Euro gold

Former AIBA World Junior champion Willie Donoghue is focused on adding another gold medal to his impressive CV at the European Youth Championships in Kolobrzeg, Poland.

The St Michael’s Athy BC flyweight, who is part of an eight-strong squad in Poland, has put in big training shifts preparing for the last Continental tournament of the year.

Garry Cully, the last Irish boxer to win European Youth gold in the Netherlands in 2013, has been helping the Irish champion prepare.

Donoghue said: “I have trained twice a day, seven days a week to try and get the gold medal in the upcoming EUBC European Confederation Youth Boxing Championships.

“I won the gold medal in the Pavlyukov Youth Memorial Tournament in Russia and have been sparring with some strong boxers, especially Garry Cully who won the title in 2013. I am focusing on Kolobrzeg before my elite years.”

Irish coach John Conlan reported this morning that Team Ireland are in top shape and looking ahead to the opening bell on Saturday.

The squad have been training with the host country, Germany and Hungary and had test matches with all three nations in training camp in Kolobrzeg.

Frankie Cleary will captain the Irish squad at the 25th European Youth Championships.

Irish Squad

49kg Stephen McKenna (Old School)
52kg Willie Donoghue (St Michael’s Athy)
56kg Frankie Cleary (Olympic) cpt
60kg James McGivern (St Georges)
64kg Adam Kelly (Ballynacargy)
69kg Michael Nevin (Portlaoise)
75kg John Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)
81kg Cormac Long (Rathkeale)

Team Manager: Brian Wallace
Coaches: John Conlan, Dmitry Dmitruk, Michael Mongan
R&J: Sadie Duffy