The performances of Irish boxers at the ongoing 2007 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers at the University of Illinois in Chicago has seen Ireland move up from 10th to 9th spot according to the rankings published by the International Boxing Association (AIBA) today.
The team rankings are based on the performances of 120 nations so far in a tournament which is acting as the first qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Ireland, on ten points, share 9th spot with Germany and are one point behind England in the rankings. China command pole position ahead of Russia and hosts USA.
Four Irish boxers will be in the ring in Chicago today and tomorrow vying to reach the quarter finals of the World Championships which will be enough to secure qualification for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
Irish captain Ken Egan, Darren O'Neill, Eric Donovan, Paddy Barnes and heavyweight John Sweeney will all be in action
in what is a crucial 48 hours for the Irish Amateur Boxing Association.
Sutherland will be one of the first Irish boxers in the ring when he meets Alfonso Blanco of Venezuela in the last sixteen with a place in the 2008 Olympics up for grabs this evening.
Sweeney will also be competing in a last 16 bout tonight against Russian Rakhim Chakhkiev. However, heavyweights must reach the semi finals to book their tickets for Beijing because of the lower entry level in the 91Kg weight categories.
Irish team captain Egan and Donovan, joined Barnes, Sweeney and Sutherland in the business end of the tournament following wins on Sunday night and the early hours of Monday morning.
Egan beat Julio Torres Castillo of Ecuador (16-10) to set up a clash with Croatian Marijo Sivolija, a silver medallist
from the 2005 World Championships in China, who Egan beat at EU Championships level in Sardinia over two years ago.
Both men looked destined to meet at the EU Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin last June but Sivolija
pulled out after picking up a facial injury.
Donovan, meanwhile, cruised past the challenge of Dominican Republic puncher Jonathan Batisa and will now face
Italian Dominico Valentino for the second time inside six months tomorrow night.
Valentino and Donovan went head-to-head at the EU Championships in Dublin last June. But it was the Italian that emerged victorious after a third round stoppage.
Paddy Barnes is in against Kenji Ohkubo, an orthodox puncher from Japan. Barnes has been having an incredible tournament, racking up 63 points and conceding just 29 in his two wins (which were against southpaws) up to this point.
For news, live scores,draws,rankings, and results log onto www.iaba.ie www.aiba.org http://www.worldboxingchicago.org/
Irish 2007 World Championships and Olympic Qualifying Tournament Draw (Last 16) University of Illinois Chicago
(Chicago time zone-5 hours Irish time)
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (Ireland) v Alfonso Blanco (Venezuela) (October 30th) (evening session)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Ireland) v Rakhim Chakhkiev (Russia) (October 30th) (evening session)
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) v Kenji Ohkubo (Japan) (October 31st)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) v Dominico Valentino (Italy) (October 31st)
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) v Marijo Sivolija (Croatia) (October 31st)
Results October 25th
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Choi Jon Chuk (Peoples Republic of Korea) 33-19
51Kg: Conor Ahern (Ireland) lost to Bato-Munko Vankeyeu 15-28
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Mikios Varga (Hungary) 39-22
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) beat Sang In Han (Korea) 22-7
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) beat Julius Jackson (Virgin Islands) RSCO2 (21-1)
Results October 26th
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) lost to McJoe Arroyo (Puerto Rico) RSCO3 (7-27)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Ireland) beat Branco Srdic (Serbia) RSC4 (18-14)
Results October 27th
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (Ireland) beat Andranik Hakobyan (Armenia) 22-20
91+Kg: Cathal McMonagle (Ireland) lost to Islam Timurziev (Russia) RET1
Results October 28th
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Ireland) beat Sadegh Zade Faraj (Iran) RSCO3 (30-10)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (Ireland) beat Jonathan Batisa (Dominican Republic) 21-4
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) lost to Rusian Khairov (Azerbaijan) 3-20
81Kg: Ken Egan (Ireland) beat Julio Torres Castillo (Ecuador) 16-10
Irish 2007 AIBA World Championships Squad by Club
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family GG, Belfast)
51Kg: Conor Ahern (Baldoyle, Dublin)
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata, Belfast)
57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (St Michael's Athy, Kildare)
75Kg: Darren Sutherland (St Saviours OBA, Dublin)
81Kg: Ken Egan (Neilstown, Dublin)
91Kg: John Sweeney (Dungloe, Donegal)
91+Kg: Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity, Belfast)
Irish 2007 AIBA World Championships Management
Performance Director: Gary Keegan
Coaches: Billy Walsh,Zuar Antia, Jim Moore
Team Manager: Jim Walsh
Physio: Scott Murphy
Performance Analysis: Alan Swanton
Strength and Conditioning: John Cleary
R&J: Eugene O'Kane.
Bernard O'Neill
Public Relations Officer
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Ph: 086 057 9558
Fax: 061 408627
bernard.oneill@oceanfree.net
www.iaba.ie