Boxers from Ballynacargy BC and Olympic BC in Mullingar make up three of the 18-strong Irish team hoping to punch their way to success at the European u22 Championships.
Robyn Kelly, Patsy Joyce and Luke Hall travel to Sofia, Bulgaria in an attempt to join some illustrious names of Irish boxing who have medalled in this competition.
The Irish team flew out to Bulgaria on Thursday, 10 October for the competition which ends on Monday, 21 October.
Previous Irish medallists at the European U22 Championships who went on to achieve greater success include the 2022 World Amateur Champion, Kelly Broadhurst; WBO Middleweight world title challenger, Jason Quigley and a host of Olympians including Aoife O’Rourke, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley.
Ballynacargy’s Robyn Kelly will be hoping to go better than her bronze medal performance at the 2023 tournament in Montenegro when she was only 18. The eight-time national champion competes at the 54kg weight class and is considered a medal hope for Ireland.
Also in the 54kg weight class, in the male category is Patsy Joyce, one of the youngest boxers in the competition. The Olympic BC boxer will have medal ambitions although team bosses would be hoping the tournament represents an excellent opportunity for Joyce to gain experience at international level.
The second Olympic BC boxer in the team is Luke Hall, who won his first ever Irish title at the National U22 Championships this year.
Hall will compete in the 67kg weight class and his appearance in Bulgaria will see him make his debut on the international scene.
Eoin Pluck, the U22 Team Head Coach said: “There’s great talent and potential in this team which has been in training since August as part of the National u22 Training Squad.
“It is a great honour to contest for you country, and I’d like to congratulate each boxer, their clubs, club coaches and their families.”
