AmateurHeadline News

Back to the Ulster Hall – January Competition Confirmed


An Ulster Elite Open competition will be held at the start of the new year with a big finals night in the Ulster Hall in Belfast.

The Ulster Elite Open will take place in January with prelims, quarters, and semis running from the 7th to the 11th at the Docklands Club in Belfast and a big finals night on Saturday January 19th at the Ulster Hall.

The make-up of the competition will remain unsure until entry lists are released.

2019 is a crucial year for amateur boxing with the European Games and the World Championships – meaning that the National Elite Championships are crucial and these run from February 8th to 23rd.

Whether Ulster boxers will look to box in both or focus solely on the more internationally relevant Irish Elites remains to be seen although a big night at the Ulster Hall is hard to beat and it is hoped that there will be a big uptake.

Then there is the prospect of the Irish Under-22s which, while currently unannounced, have recently taken place in January/February and offer passage to the European Under-22s which are usually in March.

The last major Ulster competition took place in November 2017 and was used, in part, to aid selection for the Northern Irish Commonwealth Games team.

That night at the Ulster Hall was streamed live via BBC NI. No television details have been confirmed, yet, for the upcoming competition.

Eight out of a possible 13 Ulster boxers won medals at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April while Michaela Walsh also claimed bronze at the European Championships during the Summer.

Walsh heads out to the World Championships in India this month while the Men’s team – featuring Kurt Walker and Conor Quinn – heads to the EU Championships in Spain tomorrow.

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Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

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