BOXING JJ Joyce and O'Kane Advance/European Senior Championships

13 Nov 2008



Irish middleweight Eamon O'Kane joined John Joe Joyce and Ross Hickey in the semi finals of the 37th European
Senior Championships after recording a deserved win over Andranik Hakoyban in Liverpool tonight.

All three boxers are guaranteed bronze from the Championships, maintaining Ireland's remarkable sequence of having won medals at every international tournament - including the Olympic Games - entered this year.

O'Kane, from the Immaculata club in Belfast, chalked up a 6-4 victory over the Armenian 2008 Olympian to set up tomorrows semi final with Maxim Koptyakov of Russia at the Greenbank Academy.

O'Kane's victory arrived less that an hour after light welterweight John Joe Joyce staged yet another showdown with Hungarian Gyula Kate following an edge of the seat 9-7 win over Bulgarian 2004 European lightweight champion Dimitar Stilianov.

That verdict ensured that Joyce, from the St Michael's Athy club, would meet Kate - who he beat at last
Augusts Olympics - in Thursdays semi final - their fifth meeting in the last three years.

But while Joyce and O'Kane had their hands raised in victory there was disappointment for Tipperary heavyweight Con Sheehan who was beaten 4-2 by Romanian, Petrisor Gananau this evening.

Earlier today, featherweight David Oliver Joyce bowed out at the quarter final stage after he was beaten 10-2 by Ukrainian Olympic champion Vasyl Lomachenko.

Lomachenko won silver medallist at the 2007 World Championships in Chicago and also claimed the boxer of the tournament award at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing.

Ross Hickey won his quarter final bout on Tuesday and will face Vazgen Safaryants of Belarus in Thursdays lightweight semi final.

The preliminary rounds of the European Senior Championships are being held at the Greenbank Academy with the finals pencilled in for the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday November 15th.

All eleven finals will be televised live by TG4. Friday is a rest day at the European Senior Championships.



37th European Senior Championships Results and Draw


November 6th (Preliminary)

  • 54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Abdullah Dursion (Turkey) 9-4
  • 69Kg: Willie McLoughlin (Ireland) beat Mariano Hillario Jimenez (Spain) 14-5


November 8th (Last 16)

  • 51Kg: Conor Ahern (Ireland) lost to Salomo N'Tuve (Sweden) Disq4
  • 54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Samir Mammadov (Azerbaijan) 11-3
  • 60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) beat Oleksandr Kluchko (Ukraine) 10-7
  • 69Kg: Willie McLoughlin (Ireland) lost to Jack Culcay-Keth (Germany) 2-7


November 9th (Last 16)

  • 57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Joe Murray (England) 16-3
  • 81Kg: Darren O'Neill (Ireland) lost to Nikolajs Grishunins (Latvia) 5-11


November 10th (Last 16)

  • 64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat John Tain (Scotland) 20-3
  • 75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) beat Adem Kiliggi (Turkey) 7-6
  • 91Kg: Con Sheehan (Ireland) beat Viktar Chvarkou (Belarus) 10-2


November 11th (Quarter Finals)

  • 54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) lost to Denis Makarov (Germany) 4-5
  • 60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) beat Famil Suleymanov (Azerbaijan) 6-1



November 12th (Quarter Finals)

  • 57Kg:David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) lost to Vasyl Lomachenko (Ukraine) 2-10
  • 64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat Dimitar Stilianov (Bulgaria) 9-7
  • 75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) beat Andranik Hakoyban (Armenia) 6-4
  • 91Kg: Con Sheehan (Ireland) lost to Petrisor Gananau (Romania) 2-4


November 13th (Semi Finals)

  • 60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) v Vazgen Safaryants (Belarus)
  • 64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) v Gyula Kate (Hungary)
  • 75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) v Maxim Koptyakov (Russia)



Irish European Senior Championships Squad And Management

  • 51Kg:(Flyweight) Conor Ahern (Baldoyle)
  • 54Kg:(Bantamweight) Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata)
  • 57Kg: (Featherweight) David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
  • 60Kg: (Lightweight) Ross Hickey (Grangecon)
  • 64Kg: (Light welterweight) John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
  • 69Kg: (Welterweight) Willie McLoughlin (Illies GG)
  • 75Kg: (Middleweight) Eamon O'Kane (Immaculata)
  • 81Kg: (Light heavyweight) Darren O'Neill (Paulstown)
  • 91Kg: (Heavyweight) Con Sheehan (Clonmel)

 

  • Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
  • Coaches: Billy Walsh and Zuar Antia
  • Physio. Scott Murphy



For further information contact

Bernard O'Neill
Public Relations Officer
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Ph: 086.0579558
Fax: 061.408627
bernard.oneill@oceanfree.net
www.iaba.ie