Sweeney out DOJ progresses via stoppage win

Gary Sweeney bowed out of the European Union Championships at the last 16 stage in Sofia, Bulgaria yesterday.

The Galway heavyweight was beaten on a unanimous decision by Lithuania’s Tadas Tamasavkas after three close rounds in the Bulgarian capital.

Sweeney had some good moments in this contest. His left hook found the target on a number of occasions and he also got the better of some of the close range exchanges,, but Tamasavka, who had a slight height advantage and who was working well behind his left jab, did enough to book his ticket into the last-eight.

Earlier, David Oliver Joyce stopped Mahmoud Khattab of Denmark.

Joyce, the defending lightweight champion, forced Khattab into standing counts in the first and second rounds and the ref stopped the bout with Joyce finding the target at will in the second.

It was a comprehensive victory for the St Michael’s Athy man.

Michael O’Reilly and Dean Gardiner will be in action today.

European Union Championships Sofia, Bulgaria

(Last 16 bouts unless stated, Irish times apply)

August 8th

56kg Gary McKenna (Ireland) lost to Veaceslav Gojan (Moldova) 0-3

69kg John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat Damian Kiwior (Poland) 3-0

August 9th

64kg Dean Walsh (Ireland) beat Malik Ladjali (France) 2-1

81kg Darren O’Neill (Ireland) beat Jordan Kulinski (Poland) 3-0

August 10th (1pm)

60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Mahmoud Khattab (Denmark) TKO2

91kg Gary Sweeney (Ireland) lost to Tadas Tamasavkas (Lithuania) 0-3

August 11th

75kg Michael O’Reilly (Ireland) v Henrich Bagan (Slovakia)

91kg+ Dean Gardiner (Ireland) v Kristiyan Stefanov (Bulgaria)

August 12th (Q/Final)

49kg Hughie Myers (Ireland) Oliver Simpson (England)

60kg David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) v Dawid Michelus (Poland)

69kg John Joe Joyce (Ireland) v Simeon Chamov (Bulgaria)

75kg Darren O’Neill (Ireland) v Niklos Sekhniashvili (Georgia)

August 13th (Q/Final)

64kg Dean Walsh (Ireland) v Dmitri Galagot (Moldova)

Irish squad

49kg Hughie Myers (Ryston)

56kg Gary McKenna (Old School)

60kg David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)

64kg Dean Walsh (St Joesphs/St Ibars)

69kg John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s Athy)

75kg Michael O’Reilly (Portlaoise)

81kg Darren O’Neill (Paulstown)

91kg Gary Sweeney (Olympic)

91+kg Dean Gardiner (Clonmel)

Team manager: Paddy Osbourne

Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Eddie Bolger

R&J: Sadie Duffy

Physio: Jullianne Ryan