Boxing: Kilkenny's Darren O'Neill wins gold in Czech Republic
IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION
"O'Neill Wins Gold in Czech Republic"
Irish middleweight Darren O'Neill won gold at the Ustinad Laben Senior Multi Nations tonight (May 19th) after edging out Poland's Dariusz Sek in a very close 75Kg final in the Czech Republic.
O'Neill, from the Paulstown club in Kilkenny, was handed a 24-21 verdict at the end of the four rounder to complete a remarkable month for the Kilkenny man who only returned from injury two weeks ago.
The win, O'Neill's third in four days, sees Ireland bring home one medal from the tournament and takes the total of medals won at Multi Nation level since the start of this year to twenty eight. In that period eighteen Irish boxers have reached Multi Nations finals.
O'Neill appears intent on giving the Irish Amateur Boxing Association (IABA) an ideal selection headache ahead of next Octobers World Championships in Chicago which will also act as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympics.
In an almost ironic reversal of fortunes O'Neill got his place on the Irish team last year following an injury to Darren Sutherland and the Kilkenny man took his chance quite literally with both hands winning a gold medal and the boxer of the tournament at the GeeBee Multi Nations in Finland.
Sutherland recovered from his injury and it was anticipated that he would meet O'Neill in 2007 Irish Senior Championships in January, but O'Neill had to pull out because of a hand injury
Sutherland, from the St Saviours OBA club in Dublin, then went on to win his second Irish senior title in a row and has also won four Multi Nation Senior medals this year two of which are gold.
However, O'Neill, who at 21, has a few years to spare over some of the senior members on the IABAs High Performance squad, is now firmly back in the frame and Gary Keegan, who directs the IABAs High Performance Unit, was full of praise for the Paulstown boxer.
He said: "Darren performed magnificently in the Czech Republic as he was coming up against some top class international boxers and everyone involved with High Performance are delighted with this fantastic victory.
"If Darren O'Neill is giving us an ideal selection then it is a wonderful headache to have because competition for places is the name of the game no matter what sport you are involved in.
"Darren's win was all the more remarkable as he only returned from injury two weeks ago. He said himself that he was determined to do well once he got his chance and he had certainly kept his word as this was a fantastic victory today.
"Congratulations also to the entire Irish team and management on this win as it was a very tough tournament as there were twenty one nations competing in the Czech Republic this week."
O'Neill was part of a five man Irish team including Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata Belfast) Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy) John Sweeney (Dungloe Donegal) and Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity Belfast)
Bantamweight Lindberg and lightweight Donovan suffered preliminary round reversals although Donovan, who just moved up to 60Kg this month, was narrowly beaten by 2006 European silver medallist Shahin Imarov while Lindberg has only recently recovered from a viral infection.
Heavyweight John Sweeney was beaten in his quarter final by Bulgarian Kubrat Pulev while super heavyweight McMonagle had to pull out of the tournament due to a cut under his left eye sustained in his third round 20 point rule stoppage of Switzerland's Xhavit Bajrame.
The Irish team were under team manager Jim Walsh and coaches Tony Davitt and Jim Halpin in the Czech Republic.
For More Info
Bernard O'Neill
Public Relations Officer
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Ph-086 057 9558/085 763 3090
bernard.oneill@oceanfree.net
www.iaba.ie