Algarve GOLD Rush

Irish fighters won no fewer than 12 medals at the Algarve Box Cup last weekend.

The IABA didn’t send a team to the competition but a host of Irish fighters travelled to Portugal to compete and get competitive action before the year ends.

Six fighters came home with gold, three with silver and three with bronze.

Kelyn Cassidy had a huge tournament winning gold, dropping and defeating Alfred Commey, the recent European silver medallist, in the final and picking up the Boxer of the Tournament for good measure.

Dean Walsh continued his impressive comeback adding Algarve Box Cup gold to the Celtic Box Cup gold he claimed earlier this year and defeating recent National Elite Champion and good friend Wayne Kelly along the way.

Fighting up at lightweight, Adam Hession also finished top of the podium, as did fellow underage graduates Gavin Rafferty and Aoibhe Carrabine. Wexford’s Sean Purcell also comes home with gold after an impressive tournament.

The medal wins and the competition in general has sparked National Elite Championship talk and helped whet the appetite for a tournament that will play out over January.

GOLD
M57 Sean Purcell
M60 Adam Hession
M71 Dean Walsh
M75 Gavin Rafferty
W75 Aoibhe Carrabine
M80 Kelyn Cassidy

SILVER
W57 Kelsey Leonard
M86 Dmytro Olynyk
M92 Wayne Rafferty

BRONZE
W51 Chantelle Robinson
M57 Paul Loonam
M86 Faolan Rahill

Quarter Finalist
M60 Adam Kiely
M60 Andres Clemenger
M71 Wayne Kelly
M86 Faolan Rahill