AS THE WORLD’S number one female lightweight, Katie Taylor has been given a bye through the first round of the women’s boxing world championships in China.
The Bray fighter was advanced into the second round after the draw took place this morning (Irish time) in Qinghuandao, where the Olympic qualifiers are taking place.
Taylor sits atop a lightweight division containing 59 boxers. If she wins five bouts, beginning on Monday, 14 May, she will retain her world championship title.
First up for the three-time world champ will be the winner of a Saturday bout between Rim Jourini of Turkey and Portuguese fighter Juliana Canedo de Rocha.
The number two seed, Gulsum Tatar of Turkey, is at the opposite end of the draw and has also been awarded a bye to the second round.
The top six seeds do not have to fight in Saturday’s first rounds but America’s Quantita Underwood (7) and Bulgaria’s Denitsa Eliseeva (8) will be in action.
Ceire and Sinead
Ceire Smith from Cavan will box Veglina Svetlana of Tajikistan in her opening bout, on Saturday afternoon.
The 19-year-old from Cavan will avoid any seeded fighters until the third round, if she can overcome Svetlana and a possible clash with Sarah-Joy Rae of Jamaica.
If Smith is victorious in her first two bouts she would be on course to face the fourth seed, Karolina Michalczuk of Poland on Tuesday, 15 May.
Dublin boxer Sinead Kavanagh has been drawn to fight Francelis Carmona Paez of Venezuela in her first round bout.
The 26-year-old, who fights out of Drimnagh Boxing Club, could be in line to face number five seed Liliya Durnyeva of Ukraine if she can hold off the challenge of Paez.
