Asian powerhouse to help Team Ireland prepare for the worlds

Asian powerhouses India will train in Dublin in the build up to October’s World Elite Championships and Olympic qualifiers in Doha, Qatar.

Irish head coach Billy Walsh confirmed that India will train and spar with Ireland at the National Stadium from September 20th.

This is the second time that India have visited the home of Irish boxing, as they trained with Ireland at the South Circular Road venue in the build up to London 2012.

Ireland, meantime, will leave for Italy on September 27th for a final training camp in Assisi before the AIBA World Championships which begin on October 4th.

Seven Irish boxers – Brendan Irvine, Michael Conlan, Sean McComb, Dean Walsh, Adam Nolan, Michael O’Reilly and Joe Ward – have qualified for the 18th edition of the AIBA World Elite Championships since Havana 1974.

The seven booked tickets for Doha in the light-fly, bantam, light,light-welter, welter, middle and light-heavy classes from the recent European Elite Championships and June’s European Games, with Conlan, Ward and O’Reilly winning European Championship and European Games gold into the bargain.

Twenty three Olympic places will be up for grabs across the ten weight classes in Doha. 260 boxers will compete at the tournament.

Meanwhile, the Asian and Oceania Confederation Championships get underway this week. These tournaments will complete the qualification process for Doha.