Eight Irish Fighters One Win Away From World Championship U19 Medal

Five more Irish boxers have moved to within touching distance of a prestigious World U19 Championship medal.

John Donoghue, Jason Donoghue, Lee Largey Snodden, Kayliegh Byrne and Kalib Walshe join Grace Bailey, Kaysie Joyce and Jason Whelan in the quarter-finals following a second day of Last 16 action

Reigning European champion, John Donoghue, made very short work of his 70kg Last 16 contest against Israel’s Itzhak Avrutis, closing it out via stoppage win with 10 seconds of the first round remaining.

His brother, Jason Donoghue, is also through to the business end of the championships. He was dominant and in control of the ring throughout his 65kg Last 16 contest against Catalan Mustea of Moldova, coming away with the 5-0 win, scored 30:27; 30:27; 30:26; 30:27; 30:27. The Olympic Mulingar boxer boxes for a medal on Friday.

Lee Largey Snodden has won through to the quarter-finals, having out in an assured performance in his 55kg Last 16 contest against Kosovo’s Riad Isufi, winning 5-0, scored 30:27; 30:27; 30:27; 29:38; 30: 27. Largey Snodden now boasts three tournament wins and will box for a place on the World podium in Saturday’s Afternoon Session, against Azerbaijan’s Nihat Gasimov.

Kayleigh Byrne is also a quarter finalist – she was the RSC 2 winner over Shi-Chun Chou of Chinese Taipei in their 51kg Last 16 – her second successive stoppage win. The Wexford native boxes for a medal is Saturday’s Evening Session, against Uzbekistan’s Nazokat Mardonova

Kalib Walshe has won through to the business end of the championships. He was the 5- 0 winner over Artur Avetisyan of Armenia in their 60kg Last 16, forcing a second-round standing count. Judges scored the bout 29:28; 29:28; 30:27; 30:27; 29:28. Walshe is back in action, and boxing for a medal, in Saturday’s Afternoon Session, where he’ll meet Smail Sahraoui of Algeria.

Not to be for Team Ireland’s Cassie Henderson. She boxed her 75kg Last 16 contest against Russia’s Daria Antipova, which ended in an RSC2. Cassie can be proud of her World Championship journey, which has included a high-performance training block.