IRELAND WENT TWO from three on the opening day of their European Games boxing campaign, which moonlights as the first qualifier for the Paris Olympics next summer.

Reigning Olympic lightweight (60kg) champion Kellie Harrington and Sligo’s 2021 European U22 champion Dean Clancy each won their opening bouts in Poland, while Tyrone’s Jude Gallagher bowed out at the first hurdle after a thrilling encounter with Bulgaria’s European bronze medallist.

Harrington got Zaur Antia’s team off to a winning start at the Nowy Targ Arena, out-boxing Slovakia’s European U22 champion at 63kg, Miroslava Jedanikova, on a 4-1 split decision to advance to the last 16.

Harrington, who needs to reach the semi-finals in order to book her seat on the plane to Paris, will face another 63kg convert, Armenia’s decorated underage star Elida Kacharyan, in the next round.

Gallagher was next up for Ireland but he fell marginally short against Cuban-born Bulgarian representative Javier Ibanez, last year’s European bronze medallist and a two-time World Championship quarter-finalist.

The all-action Tyrone man took a pulsating opening round across the board but began to run out of steam thereafter, with the excellent Ibanez clawing his way into the ascendancy in the second half to take a 4-1 split.

Depending on selection, Gallagher may get another crack at Paris next year, when there are two further ‘world’ qualification tournaments.

Sligo’s Dean Clancy is two wins from the Olympics after he cruised past Austria’s Arsen Chabyan, winning the bout on all five judges’ scorecards in his 63.5kg curtain-raiser.

Like Harrington, Clancy must reach a semi to secure qualification for next summer’s Games.

Four more Irish boxers will begin their campaigns on Saturday.

In the afternoon session, Meath’s Jennifer Lehane boxes Serbia’s Sara Cirkovic at 54kg, while Belfast’s former Olympian Michaela Walsh meets Olga Pavlina Papadatou of Greece up at 57. Then, at 80kg, Kelyn Cassidy clashes with Mindaugas Gedminas of Norway.

In Saturday’s evening session, Amy Broadhurst opens her account at 66kg against Milena Matovic of Serbia.

Written by Gavan Casey and posted on the42.ie

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