DUBLIN’S JACK MARLEY will on Tuesday fight for a medal at the European Elite Boxing Championships in Sofia after earning a 3-2 split-decision victory over Aryan Panah Saed of the World Refugee Team.
Marley, a European silver medallist in 2023 and a former champion at the U22 age grade, had earned a bye to the last-16 stage and edged an action-packed contest on three of the judges’ scorecards (29-28 x3), while two of the judges viewed the bout in favour of Panah Saed (29-26, 29-28).
Sallynoggin heavyweight Marley, 23, will face Georgia’s cruiserweight convert Georgii Kushitashvli in Tuesday afternoon’s 90kg quarter-final.
Kushitashvli is a former European champion a division below, and also a two-time World bronze medallist at 86kg.
“My opponent was short, stocky, and was like a bull,” Marley said of Panah Saed. “He didn’t stop, whether that was with punches or with his head!
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“It was a bit like trying to be in a mosh pit for three rounds but I really enjoyed it to get my campaign underway.”
Team Ireland's Jack Marley says his European Elite Championship Last 16 opponent was 'like a bull' - but he enjoyed the bout.
The Paris heavyweight was the 3-2 winner over Aryan Panah Saed of the World Boxing Refugee Team
Evelyn Igharo also won through to the medal stages in the women’s 70kg bracket, blasting her way past Belarusian Aryna Danilchyk to open her account with a unanimous-decision success.
Igharo earned standing counts against her opponent in the second and third rounds, with the judges awarding her the contest on scores of 30-26, 30-27 x3, and 29-26.
Igharo will box for a medal in Tuesday’s afternoon session against England’s Chantelle Reid.
Reid, a Paris Olympian, was a bronze medalist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and won silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
“A little bit rusty”, said Igharo, “but excited enough to get the first one out of the way.
“Over the moon with the first win.”
Team Ireland's Evelyn Igharo says she feels great after her debut European Elite Championships win.
She was the 5-0 victor over Belarus in her 70kg Last 16 contest, and is in to the quarter finals.
Earlier, Jennifer Lehane’s campaign came to an end as she lost a tight 54kg contest to fellow Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri of France.
In a tight, closely fought contest, Lkhadiri emerged the deserved victor on a 4-1 split. The judges’ scores were 30-27 and 29-28 x3 in favour of the Frenchwoman, while one judge believed Lehane a 29-28 winner.
At 4:15pm on Sunday, cruiserweight Cliona D’Arcy faces Poland’s four-time European medallist Elżbieta Wójcik in search of a first major medal of her own, having enjoyed a bye into the women’s 81kg quarter-finals.
Welterweight Dean Clancy will also continue his campaign at 65kg against a familiar foe in the shape of Hugo Grau of France.
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Jack Marley emerges from 'mosh pit' to reach medal stages at European Elites
DUBLIN’S JACK MARLEY will on Tuesday fight for a medal at the European Elite Boxing Championships in Sofia after earning a 3-2 split-decision victory over Aryan Panah Saed of the World Refugee Team.
Marley, a European silver medallist in 2023 and a former champion at the U22 age grade, had earned a bye to the last-16 stage and edged an action-packed contest on three of the judges’ scorecards (29-28 x3), while two of the judges viewed the bout in favour of Panah Saed (29-26, 29-28).
Sallynoggin heavyweight Marley, 23, will face Georgia’s cruiserweight convert Georgii Kushitashvli in Tuesday afternoon’s 90kg quarter-final.
Kushitashvli is a former European champion a division below, and also a two-time World bronze medallist at 86kg.
“My opponent was short, stocky, and was like a bull,” Marley said of Panah Saed. “He didn’t stop, whether that was with punches or with his head!
“It was a bit like trying to be in a mosh pit for three rounds but I really enjoyed it to get my campaign underway.”
Evelyn Igharo also won through to the medal stages in the women’s 70kg bracket, blasting her way past Belarusian Aryna Danilchyk to open her account with a unanimous-decision success.
Igharo earned standing counts against her opponent in the second and third rounds, with the judges awarding her the contest on scores of 30-26, 30-27 x3, and 29-26.
Igharo will box for a medal in Tuesday’s afternoon session against England’s Chantelle Reid.
Reid, a Paris Olympian, was a bronze medalist at the 2025 World Boxing Championships and won silver at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
“A little bit rusty”, said Igharo, “but excited enough to get the first one out of the way.
“Over the moon with the first win.”
Earlier, Jennifer Lehane’s campaign came to an end as she lost a tight 54kg contest to fellow Paris Olympian Wassila Lkhadiri of France.
In a tight, closely fought contest, Lkhadiri emerged the deserved victor on a 4-1 split. The judges’ scores were 30-27 and 29-28 x3 in favour of the Frenchwoman, while one judge believed Lehane a 29-28 winner.
At 4:15pm on Sunday, cruiserweight Cliona D’Arcy faces Poland’s four-time European medallist Elżbieta Wójcik in search of a first major medal of her own, having enjoyed a bye into the women’s 81kg quarter-finals.
Welterweight Dean Clancy will also continue his campaign at 65kg against a familiar foe in the shape of Hugo Grau of France.
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