Four into Last 16 of AIBA World Championships

02 Oct 2011


Roy Sheehan joined Con Sheehan, Joe Ward and Michael Conlan in the last-16 of the AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers following victory over Borna Katalinic of Croatia in Baku, Azerbaijan today.

The St Michael's Athy welterweight, who beat Katalinic in the 2005 AIBA World Championships in China, earned a 21-17 decision over the Croatian to set up a last-16 clash with Lithuania's Egidijus Kavaliauskas on Tuesday.

If Roy Sheehan, Ward and Conlan win Tuesday they will qualify for the 2012 Olympics. Con Sheehan, must reach the semi-finals as heavyweights and super-heavyweight must achieve a last-four finish to guarantee tickets for the London Games.

Shortly before Roy Sheehan entered the ring, Con Sheehan recorded Ireland's second win in-a-row over Tajikistan.

The Tipperary super-heavyweight had his hand raised in victory after the ref stopped his last-32 contest with Faruth Kalonov of Tajikistan after Kalanov took his second standing count in the second round.

Sheehan was leading 24-4 when the the third man in the ring intervened. He'll now meet Italy's 2008 Olympic gold medalist and two-time AIBA World Champion Roberto Cammerelle in the last-16 on Tuesday.

Cammerelle beat Jose Payares of Venezuela 17-8 today. However, the Italian, a gold medal winner at the 2007 EU Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin, has to get off the floor before he celebrated victory as he was dropped by the Venezuelan in the third.

Ward cruised into the last-16 with a convincing win.

The 17-year-old European light-heavyweight champion beat Dilovarsho Abdurakhmanov of Tajikistan 22-4 and will now meet Ehsan Rouzbahani of Iran on Tuesday for a place at the 2012 Olympics.

Abdurakhmanov, who received a public warning for a low blow in the second frame of today's contest, was 3-1 and 13-3 down at the end of rounds one and two against Ward, who boxes out of
Moate BC in Westmeath.

Ray Moylette bowed out of the Championships following a 19-7 defeat to Manoj Kumars of India earlier today.

Kumar, the 2010 Commonwealth champion, was 5-3 up at the end of the first and stretched that lead to 12-4 by the end of the second against Ireland's current European light-welterweight champion.

Michael Conlan claimed his second win at the Championships after posting an 18-17 decision over Olzhas Sattibayev of Kazakhstan this morning.

The Belfast flyweight will now meet number two seed Nordine Oubaali of France in the last-16 on Tuesday for a place at the 2012 London Olympics.

Conlan was 7-4 and 13-11 ahead at the end of rounds one and two.

Boxers reaching the quarter-finals in the eight weight categories from light-flyweight to light-heavyweight will secure Olympics qualification.

Heavyweights and super-heavyweights must reach the semi-finals to guarantee qualification for the 30th Olympiad.