AmateurHeadline News

Irish World Youth Championships squad hit by QUADRUPLE withdrawal


Four Irish boxers have been forced to pull out of the team for the World Youth Championships which begin in Budapest next week.

An eleven-strong male and female team were due to fly to Hungary on Sunday for the tournament but the squad has been hit be a raft of withdrawals.

Numerous boxers have suffered injuries or have outgrown their designated weight class in recent weeks and have unfortunately had to withdraw.

The boxers no longer heading to the 81-nation championships are European Junior gold medallists Callum Walsh and Edward Donovan, participant at last years’ World Youths Mary Geraghty, and Cork’s Alex Higgins.

This leaves a team of seven – Daina Moorehouse, Caitlin Fryers, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy, Dearbhla Rooney, Brandon McCarthy, and Lauren Kelly.

Kelly captains the women’s side while Gallagher leads the men.

Both boxers won bronze at the European Youths in Italy back in April – the only qualifying tournament for the Worlds.

This, controversially, is the first World Youths to feature pre-qualification and eight boxers received spots from the Euros.

These were our six medalists – Moorehouse (gold), Gallagher (bronze), Clancy (silver), Rooney (silver), Evelyn Igharo (silver), Kelly (bronze), and McCarthy and Edward Barrett.

However, following the tournament the AIBA announced an increase in quota places and this, along with places being passed down from non-entering boxers, saw five further Irish boxers qualify – Walsh, Higgins, Donovan, Fryers, and Geraghty.

Sadly though, of this quintet, just Fryers will be making the trip to Budapest

Previously, Igharo and Barrett, who had qualified via the European Youths, withdrew from contention.

This year will be the first time that the World Youths for both genders will run concurrently.

At the last women’s championships, last year in India, Fryers and Katelynn Phelan won bronze. At the last men’s competition back in 2016 in Russia, Gabriel Dossen and Michael Nevin won bronze.

World Men’s & Women’s Youth Championships Budapest, Hungary August 20-31

48kg Daina Moorhouse (Enniskerry)
49kg Jude Gallagher (Two Castles)
51kg Caitlin Fryers (Immaculata)
52kg Dean Clancy (Ballinacarrow)
56kg Brandon McCarthy (St Michael’s Athy)
57kg Dearbhla Rooney (Sean McDermott’s)
75kg Lauren Kelly (St Brigid’s Edenderry)

Team manager: Stephen Connolly and Tara Mari Robins
Head coach: Billy McClean
Coaches: Michael Carruth, Michael Mongan, Anita Just
Physio: David Cooke

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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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