IRELAND PROGRESS TO the last 16 of the Women’s World Boxing Championships with their entire squad intact after four victories on day three of the action in New Dehli.
Aoife O’Rourke and Ceire Smith made it through the morning’s first session, before Michaela Walsh and Amy Broadhurst secured split decision victories to guarantee Ireland’s 100% success rate with two wins in the afternoon’s second session.
O’Rourke set up a Celtic clash in the middleweight division with a dominant performance against Ya-Chu Yang of Chinese Taipei.
The Roscommon fighter — who won European silver at U22 level earlier this year — was a cut above her opponent and controlled all three rounds, forcing Yang into two standing counts on her way to a unanimous 5:0 verdict from the judges.
But O’Rourke is set to face a much sterner test when she returns to the ring on Monday morning, where she will face the reigning Commonwealth Games champion Lauren Price of Wales in the last 16.
Ceire Smith booked her place in the last 16 of the flyweight division as she beat Gabriela Dimitrova of Bulgaria 3:2.
Smith is also back in action in Monday’s first session where she faces Japan’s Tsukimi Namiki for a place in the quarter-finals.
Michaela Walsh made it three wins from three for Ireland as she overcame Romania’s Lacramiora Perijoc in the afternoon sessions.
The Belfast featherweight was awarded a 4-1 split-decision victory over her opponent to set up a last-16 clash with 2016 world champion Alessia Mesiano of Italy on Monday.
It all came down to Amy Broadhurst in the 64kg division, who endured three difficult rounds against sturdy Russian, Ekaterina Dynnik.
The Dundalk native produced an excellent opening round and kept her distance to frustrate her opponent, picking her shots expertly.
Dynnik started the second by upping the tempo and closing the space between her and Broadhurst. As the fight slowed down in the third and final round, Broadhurst gathered her composure to see out the fight and secure the split decision on a 4-1 scoreline.
The victory means Ireland have won all five of their opening fights of the championships after Kellie Harrington’s victory over Troy Garton yesterday. Gráinne Walsh already progressed to the last 16 with a bye.
– Updated 18 Nov: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that O’Rourke and Smith’s last-16 fights would take place on Sunday; they take place on Monday.
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