BOXING Five Boxers Selected to Reprtesnt Ireland at World Championships

World Championships will take place in Mianyang City, China, from November 12 to 21, 2005.

The Irish Amateur Boxing Association has selected five boxers to represent Ireland at the World Boxing Championships in China in November.

Kenneth Egan  Neilstown 
      Light Heavyweight (81 kg)
Daren Sutherland St Saviours Olympic Academy, Dublin  
      Middleweight (75 kg)
Roy Sheehan  St Michaels Athy
   Welterweight (69 kg)
Eric Donovan  St Michaels Athy 
   Featherweight (57 kg)
Conor Ahern  Baldoyle
   Flyweight (51 kg)

Egan and Sutherland were assured of their places following consistently excellent performances at international tournaments this year. The other three boxers went to the multi-nations tournament in Finland knowing that they had to qualify for the final in order to be selected. The three produced top quality performances, with Donovan winning gold and Ahern and Sheehan winning silver, to secure their seat on the plane.

Gary Keegan, IABA Performance Director, said “I am delighted to have five boxers on the team. All our squad knew at the start of the year that there would be no passengers in the team for China. They have to be in good form in order to be considered for the Worlds and I especially pleased with the three boxers who went to Finland under pressure to perform. Bringing five athletes is a sign of the progress made under our High Performance Programme”.   

The squad will leave for a pre-tournament camp in the Philippines on November 3. They will be joined by Germany, France and Italy before flying into China on November 11. The support staff, led by Gary Keegan, will be coaches Billy Walsh, Zaur Antia and physio Tara Timlin. The Irish delegation will be completed by referee / judge Eugene O’Kane.

Issued on behalf of the IABA by the Irish Sports Council

For further information please contact

Gary Keegan  Performance Director, IABA  087 2758906

Paul McDermott Irish Sports Council   087 6486295

Pen Pics

Kenneth Egan, from the Neilstown club, has twice qualified for the quarter finals of the World Championships (Belfast, 2001, Bangkok, 2003).  2005 has been Kenny’s most consistent year to date with three gold and a silver at international events, which includes the European Union Championship gold.

Darren Sutherland exploded onto the scene in 2005 in the weight division dominated by Andy Lee in recent years.  The DCU student has won three multi-nations gold medals including best boxer in Albania.

Roy Sheehan’s selection is based on four fights in four days in Finland where he ended up with the silver medal. He beat Karl Brabazon (ranked 1) and Oisin Kelly (ranked 2) in a box off in September which put him in contention for selection.

Eric Donovan, long regarded as the outstanding prospect in Irish amateur boxing, had interrupted preparation due to injury in 2005. However, two outstanding gold medals in Albania and Finland assured the IABA of his fitness and guaranteed his spot for the China.

Conor Ahern, also won gold in Albania and won silver in Liverpool and Finland. Campaigning at a new weight, (formerly 48 kg, light flyweight) his smooth progress has impressed with the highlight of his year to date the victory in Dublin against the Cuban Ivan Perez.