Patrick Harkin and David Joe Joyce had to settle for bronze medals at the European Cadet Championships in Hungary this afternoon after both Irish boxers lost their semi final bouts after being stopped on the 15 point rule in Siofok.

Light welter Joyce,from the St Michael's Athy club, was stopped in the second round of his last four bout by Russian Leven Audaylan.

And lightweight Harkin,of the Dunnfanaghy club in Donegal,was stopped at the end of round one by Stephan Kurda from Belarus.

Today's reversals brings the curtain down on Irelands involvement in the U/17 tournament.

However, the two bronze medal wins represent Irelands best ever performance at this level, and coach Jim Moore was full of praise for the Irish squad.

"David and Patrick boxed fantastically to get to the semi finals and while we are disappointed with today's results we are very pleased to be taking home two medals from this tournament as we were competing against some of the best underage boxers in the world here in Hungary.

"The rest of Irish squad performed very well out here also and we can take a lot of positives from this tournament," Moore added.

Moore will now join the Irish junior squad in Germany where they are in training camp ahead of the European Junior Championships which will take place in Serbia between July 6th and 15th.




Irish European Cadet Championships Squad

48Kg: Neil Walker (Dockers Belfast)
52Kg: Charles Haggerty (Golden Cobra)
54Kg: Ruari Dalton (St Johns Belfast)
57Kg: Sean Duffy (St Pats Keady)
60Kg: Patrick Harkin (Dunnfanaghy)
63Kg: David Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
66Kg: Conrad Cummins (Clonoe)
70Kg: Bernard Roe (Dublin Docklands)
75Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Oliver Plunket)

Team Manager: Joseph Laevelle
Coaches: Jim Moore and Patrick McAllister
R&J: Seamus Kelly
Physiotherapist: Conor McCarthy


Bernard O'Neill
Public Relations Officer
Irish Amateur Boxing Association
Ph-086 057 9558/085 763 3090
bernard.oneill@oceanfree.net
www.iaba.ie