With the coronavirus wreaking havoc on the sporting fixtures at an alarming rate, the European Olympic Boxing Qualifying Tournament is set to go ahead in London, from the 14-24 March 2020.
Ireland will be well represented, with five female boxers looking to book their place on the plane for Tokyo 2020.
This is the first of two opportunity for Irish boxers to gain qualification to the Games this summer. The tournament held in London will have 27 spots available for women to qualify. The breakdown is as follows:
Flyweight: 6 Places Available
Featherweight: 6 Places Available
Lightweight: 6 Places Available
Welterweight: 5 Places Available
Middleweight: 4 Places Available
Boxers who don’t achieve qualification in London will have a second chance to qualify for Tokyo 2020 at the World Tournament in Paris in May 2020.
Big week ahead for our boxers ?? #RoadToTokyo #Tokyo2020 #TeamIrelandhttps://t.co/JNkl6RBrog pic.twitter.com/NVtGzn3GMr
— Team Ireland (@TeamIreland) March 13, 2020
The five females competing for Ireland this coming week are Carly McNaul (Flyweight), Michaela Walsh (Featherweight), Kellie Harrington (Lightweight), Christina Desmond (Welterweight) and Aoife O’Rourke (Middleweight).
This Olympics will have a greater emphasis on women’s boxing than previous Games. This time around there will be a record five weight-classes for female Olympic boxers.
The IOC recently announced that Tokyo 2020 will have achieved gender balance with 48.8% females competing, they also confirmed there will be full gender representation across all National Olympic Committees for the first time ever. The IOC also introduced a new rule that will allow one male and one female flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.
Live Streaming of the event is on the Olympic Channel HERE.
TEAM IRELAND COMPETITION TIMES
March 16
Last 16
51kg Carly McNaul (Ireland) v Charley Davison (Team Great Britain)
March 17
Last 16
57kg Michaela Walsh (Ireland) v Melissa Morensen (Denmark) or Mona Mestian France)
60kg Kellie Harrington (Ireland) v Aneta Rygielska (Poland) or Paula Cosmo (Romania)
69kg Christina Desmond (Ireland) v Angela Carina (Italy)
75kg Aoife O’Rourke (Ireland) v Viktoriya Kebikava (Belarus)
