IABA UPDATE (EUROPEAN WOMEN’S SQUAD NAMED)

IRISH AMATEUR BOXING ASSOCIATION

The Irish Amateur Boxing Association have named a nine-strong squad for next month’s European Senior Women’s Championships in Holland.

Lightweight Katie Taylor, the current AIBA World champion, will be aiming for her fifth 60Kg gold medal in-a-row at the Continental deciders which glove off in Rotterdam on October 16th.

Katie Rowland and Michaela Walsh, who both claimed bronze medals at the inaugural 2011 AIBA World Youth Championships, have been included in the Irish panel.

The experienced Sinead Kavanagh and Kelly Harrington, Lynee McEnery, Ciere Smith, Laoise Traynor and Lauragh O’Neill will also represent Ireland in Rotterdam.

The squad will go into training camp at the Clann Naofa BC in Dundalk next Thursday until October 1st and will take part in a further training camp from October 8th/12.

Taylor is presently in training camp with the Irish men’s Elite squad in Cologne, Germany.

The 2011 European Championships will be the final major tournament for European female boxers before the 2012 AIBA World Senior Women’s Championships and only Olympic qualifier for women in China next May.

The three Olympic weight categories for women are flyweight (51Kg), lightweight (60Kg) and middleweight (75Kg).

Irish squad European Women’s C’Ships Rotterdam, Holland Oct 16th/23rd

48Kg: Lynne McEnery (St Pauls)
51Kg: Katie Rowland (Geesala)
54Kg: Ciere Smith (Cavan)
57Kg: Michaela Walsh (Holy Family)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray)
64Kg: Kelly Harrington (Corinthians)
69Kg: Laoise Traynor (Bray)
75kg: Sinead Kavanagh (Drimnagh)
81kg: Lauragh O’Neill (Paulstown)

Coaches: Pete Taylor, Zauri Antia
Team manager: Anna Moore