BOXING Ireland v Italy

Ten times Irish senior champion Ken Egan has been withdrawn from the Irish squad to face Italy at the National Stadium in Dublin this Friday after picking up the flu.

The 2008 Olympic silver medalist was due to meet Italian light heavyweight Simona Fiori but is now out of the two match international and has been replaced by Disha Gezim of the St Matthews club in Dublin.

Ireland face the Italians at the National Stadium in Dublin on Friday night and at the Donegal Celtic Club in Belfast on Sunday evening.

The Italians have named Olympic and double AIBA World super-heavyweight champ Roberto Cammerelle in their squad.

Current World lightweight champion and AIBA World boxer of the year Domenic Valentino and 2007 World heavyweight champ Clemente Russo will also line out for the Azzuri in Dublin and Belfast.

The Italian team are due to arrive in Dublin today and will train at the National Stadium this afternoon.

Meanwhile, World and European lightweight champion Katie Taylor and her Irish team mate Sinead Kavanagh advanced to the quarter finals of the Usti nad Labem Gran Prix with preliminary round wins in the Czech Republic yesterday.

Taylor beat Kosovare Buzuku of Sweden 8-0 and Drimnagh middleweight Kavanagh beat Martina Jindrova of the Czech Republic 9-7 in Usi nad Labem.

Taylor, from the Bray BC, will meet ex Italian European featherweight champion Marzia Davide today and Kavanagh faces Bulgarian Desisvala Lazarova.