Harrington and Fay get European campaign off to winning start

Kellie Harrington defeated a former professional world champion as she made a successful return to major international action in Montenegro tonight.

The Olympic Champion defeated former long-reigning IBF super featherweight world champion Maiva Hamadouche in the European Championships.

The French fighter, who Harrington previously defeated to secure a place at the Tokyo Games, represented as tough a preliminary-round fight as you can get, but Harrington dealt with all she had to offer with relative ease to secure a unanimous points win.

The win sees the St Mary’s BC fighter progress to the next round of the European Championships.

All action Niamh Fay got Ireland off to a winning start a few fights earlier.

The Under-22 European Champion blitzed Italy’s Sirine Charaabi to secure a unanimous decision and a place in the next round.

Commonwealth Games silver medallist at 50kg, Carly McNaul is next up for Ireland, she opens her account in Saturday’s afternoon session against Romania; while Olympian and Commonwealth Games champion, Micheala Walsh gets underway against France on the same day.