Boxing
London 2012 bronze medallist Michael Conlan is racing against time to be fit for the Irish Elite Championships which begin at the National Stadium in Dublin next Friday, writes Bernard O'Neill. The Belfast-born Commonwealth Games gold medallist, the defending Elite bantamweight champion, picked up a thumb injury on his right hand in sparring and is an injury doubt.
The Elite Championships are being held early this year to facilitate Olympic qualifiers in regular amateur boxing, the World Series of Boxing (WSB) and AIBA Pro Boxing (APB). Conlan's coach and dad, John Conlan, said that they are awaiting medical advice to determine if Conlan Junior, who boxes out of the St John Bosco ABC, will be fit to defend his 56kg belt.