A 14-person team has been named to compete in the 75th Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, next month.
The squad includes all Team Ireland athletes currently qualified for Paris 2024: Jack Marley (92kg), Dean Clancy (63.5kg), Tokyo Olympians Aoife O’Rourke (75kg), Michaela Walsh ( 57 kg) and the current lightweight champion, Kellie Harrington.
Completing the team are elite high performance 50kg athletes Shannon Sweeney, 54kg Niamh Fay, 2022 world champions Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’Rourke, along with 51kg Rickey Nesbitt, 57kg Adam Hession, 57kg Dylan Eagleson , 71kg Eugene McKeever, 71kg Dean Walsh, and Martin McDonagh, over 92kg.
In the 74th edition of the tournament, IABA boxers returned with three golds, for Kellie Harrington, Aoife O’Rourke and Tina Desmond, and a bronze for Kelyn Cassidy.
High performance head coach Zauri Antia says: “Strandja is a very tough tournament; Last year, 38 nations competed there and we had a very strong performance. “This is an equally strong team, preparing to take on some of the best boxers in the world.”
Director of High Performance Tricia Heberle says: “Strandja is a world-renowned tournament and one that the IABA has a history of playing strongly in. This is a competition with a double focus: for our athletes who are already qualified for Paris, it is a key preparation event. For the Paris 2024 Olympic Training Team, this is a vital development and preparation opportunity, where they will meet some of the highest level international athletes. The preparation of this team, supported by Sport Ireland and Sports Science practitioners at Sport Institute Ireland, has been excellent, and has included a Heat Acclimatization Camp in Tenerife, and training at the Ulster High Performance Unit, at the University of Ulster Jordanstown, as well as at our base in the SII.”
Equipment:
50 kg Shannon Sweeney, St. Anne’s BC, May
54kg Niamh Fay, Phoenix of Ballyboughal BC, Dublin
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family GG, Belfast
60kg Kellie Harrington, St. Mary’s BC, Tallaght, Dublin
66kg Amy Broadhurst, St Bronagh ABC, Newry
66kg Lisa O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
75kg Aoife O’Rourke, Castlerea BC, Roscommon
51kg Rickey Nesbitt, Holy Family BC, Drogheda
57kg Adam Hession, Monivea BC, Galway
57kg Dylan Eagleson, St. Paul’s BC, Antrim
63.5kg Dean Clancy, Sean McDermott BC, Leitrim
71kg Eugene McKeever, Holy Family, Drogheda
71kg Dean Walsh, St Ibar’s/St Joseph’s BC, Wexford.
92kg Jack Marley, Monkstown BC, Dublin
Over 92kg Martin McDonagh, Crumlin, Dublin.
