KURT WALKER TODAY advanced to the last-16 stage of the featherwight class at the World Championships in Russia with a split decision win over Columbian southpaw David Avila. 

Walker, the reigning European champion and the Irish team captain, won what was his first bout of the tournament 4-1.

The final scorecards read 30-27, 29-28,29-28,29-28, 27-30 in Walker’s favour. The Antrim fighter will face Canada’s Robin Basran on Tuesday, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line. 

There was disappointment later in the day for Ireland, however, with Dublin heavyweight Kirill Afanasev losing a split decision to Bulgaria’s Radoslav Panaleev. Afanasev lost by the scoreline as Walker won by – 4-1. 

There are another two Irish fighters in action tomorrow. Antrim welterweight Aidan Walsh faces England’s No.2 seed Pat McCormack in the last 32 in a repeat of the 2018 Commonwealth final – won by McCormack – while Michael Nevin, who has already won twice at this tournament, faces Russia’s Gleb Bakshi for a place in the last eight.