ULSTER fighters mined eight gold medals at the Celtic International Box Cup last weekend – with Holy Trinity landing an impressive hat-trick in Dungarvan.
The west Belfast club’s Mosa Kambule, Edgar Vuskans and European Youth bronze medallist Jon McConnell all swept to the top of the podium, where they were joined by Monkstown pair Daryl Clarke and Jordan Swain, Padraig Downey (St John Bosco, Belfast), Darren McNally (Frank Gervin, Clonoe) and Cookstown’s Teo Alin.
For Kambule and Vuskans, it proved excellent preparation for this week’s Ulster senior championships, with Kambule taking on St George’s prospect Jack McGivern – brother of reigning Irish elite champion James – in the 60kg semi-final on Thursday. It promises to be one of the fights of the night at the Dockers club.
Kambule came through a tough final at the Celtic Cup, edging out Holy Family’s Jack Douglas on a split, having already accounted for Byron Cox (Dale Youth) in the semi-final.
Welterweight Vuskans, meanwhile, got the better of Lewys Parfitt (Maerdy) on Sunday after seeing off Martin Sammon (Olympic) and Hayden Hill (St Francis’s). He is straight back into competitive action tonight against Patrick Cooney (Loup) in the preliminary round of the Ulster seniors, with Charles Duffy (Illies GG) awaiting the winner on Thursday.
McConnell completed the Holy Trinity hat-trick with a unanimous decision win over Portuguese Tomás Silva (Privilegio), who had earlier edged out Eoghan Quinn from the St John’s club in Swatragh.
“It was the perfect tournament for the lads to enter at the start of the season,” said Holy Trinity coach Michael Hawkins.
“Stephen McMonagle was unlucky to lose out in the quarter-final, while the other boys did well and will have taken a good bit from it. Our coach Drew Welsh has been down here three times, he’s always spoken highly of the competition, and I can see why.
“It was a great experience for everybody.”
Monkstown light-welter Clarke caught the eye when he took a 3-2 split decision win over Dale Youth’s Henry Johnson, having previously got the better of Charley Mason (Bognor) and Micheal O'Domhnaill (Celtic Eagles).
Clarke will hope to carry that form into the Ulster seniors on Thursday night when he comes up against Star’s Corai Madden.
Club-mate Swain, meanwhile, did enough to get the nod against Boston’s Matthew Difraia in the senior A 69kg decider, after edging a similarly close encounter with Michael Chalkey (Billericay & Wickford) in the semi-final.
In the 52kg male youth final, Bosco’s Downey had too much for Sean Lawlor (Marble City) as he secured gold, with Cookstown lightweight Alin scoring a unanimous decision win over Ricardo Fernandes (Privilegio).
Light-heavyweight Darren McNally, from the Frank Gervin club in Clonoe, showcased his skills en route to claiming the 81kg title in Dungarvan.
First up he got the better of Larry Redmond (Ballybrack) on a split, before having his hand raised at the end of three rounds against John Richardson (St Francis’s).
McNally is back between the ropes on Thursday against Oran Shiels from the Illies Golden Gloves club in Donegal, and there are several tasty-looking bouts lined up as the Ulster senior and novice championships get under way tonight.
Quarter and semi-finals take place on Thursday, with the finals down for decision at the Dockers on Friday night (8pm start).
Ulster senior and novice senior championships
Tonight
Preliminaries
69kg open: E Vuskans (Holy Trinity) v P Cooney (Loup); 69kg open: C Reneghan (Sean Doran) v J Conlan (Carrickmore); 69kg open: A White (Sacred Heart) v S Murphy (Carrickmore)
Quarter-finals
75kg A: PJ Kelly (Twintowns) v D Mazarire (St George’s); 75kg A: R White (Cairn Lodge) v O O’Rourke (Clonoe)
Semi-finals
60kg A: A Floyd (Star of the Sea) v J Kane (City of Belfast); 64kg A: A Toner (SJ Bosco) v J Carlin (Carrickmacross); 64kg A: J Naan (Enniskillen) v L Costello (City of Belfast); 71kg A: B Keenan (Ardoyne) v A Douglas (Ballykelly); 71kg A: K Flanaghan (Patsy Quinn) v M Masewski (City of Belfast); 81kg A: S McManus (Sacred Heart, Newry) v K Nicolo (SJ Bosco); 28kg A: G McDowell (Eastside) v J Lodder (Twintowns); 91kg A: R White (Star) v B Martin (Midland); 91kg A: W McCarton (Gilford) v F Lowe (Clonoe); 91+kg: T Dundon (SJ Bosco) v A Travers (Carrickmore)
Thursday
Quarter-finals
69kg open: C Duffy (Illies GG) v E Vuskans (Holy Trinity)/P Cooney (Loup); 69kg open: T Duffy (Clonard) v C Reneghan (Sean Doran)/J Conlan (Carrickmore); 69kg open: F Donaghy (Carrickmore) v A White (Sacred Heart)/S Murphy (Carrickmore); 69kg open: L Morgan (St Patrick’s) v A Ahmed (Ormeau Road)
Semi-finals
75kg A: C Boucher (Legends) v PJ Kelly (Twintowns)/D Mazarire (St George’s); 75kg A: B McGinty (Lifford) v R White (Cairn Lodge)/O O’Rourke (Clonoe); 67kg B: R Trainor (Ardoyne) v C Toner (SJ Bosco); 67kg B: J Boyd (Gleann) v C O’Neill (SJ Bosco, Newry); 57kg open: M Boreland (Churchlands) v K Marshall (Emerald); 60kg open: L McKee (Star) v C Allen (Dockers); 60kg open: J McGivern (St George’s) v M Kambule (Holy Trinity); 64kg open: C Madden (Star) v D Clarke (Monkstown); 64kg open: B Ferran (Clonard) v B Corcoran (Carrickmore); 75kg open: C McCann (SJ Bosco) v E Muhiu (Dockers); 81kg open: D McNally (Clonoe) v O Shiels (Illies GG); 91kg open: M McConegly (Illies GG) v D McCabe (SJ Bosco, Newry); 91kg open: P Mone (Carrickmacross) v D O’Donnell (Dungloe); 91+kg: D Ferrin (Kronk) v T Maughan (Cavan)
Irish team gear up for World Championship draw
THE draw for the AIBA World Women’s Championships will take place in the Siberian city of Ulan-Ude tomorrow, with the action getting under way on Thursday.
Belfast featherweight Michaela Walsh, whose brother Aidan competed at the mens’ equivalent in Russia last month, is part of the four-strong team all targeting a first World medal.
Team Ireland completed a final training camp at the German Olympic Centre in Kienbaum alongside the host nation, Australia and USA last Thursday and, along with coaches, Zaur Antia, Dimitry Dimitruk and Damian Kennedy, arrived in Siberia in rude health.
For Cavan flyweight Ceire Smith, it will be a fourth crack at the Worlds, with Cork welter Christina Desmond and Walsh in their second and third outings at this level.
Dundalk lightweight Amy Broadhurst impressed on her World debut last year in New Delhi, coming within striking distance of at least a bronze medal before bowing out to India’s Simranjit Kaur on a controversial split decision.
Although she isn’t on the team, Belfast pocket rocket Carly McNaul was also at the training camp in Germany as she bids to defend her Irish elite title in November.
It is 14 years since Ireland first entered the women’s World elites, having sent a 19-year-old Katie Taylor and Alanna Audley to the third edition of the tournament in Podolsk, Russia in 2005.
Both won their opening bouts before losing to North Korea’s Kang Kum Hui and Norwegian Cecilia Breakhus in the last eight.
