Team Ireland recorded an opening day win at the World Boxing Championships at the M&S Arena in Liverpool yesterday.

540 boxers from 66 federations are contesting these championships, the first in which men and women compete for World gold together.

Paris Olympian 54kg Jennifer Lehane opened Team Ireland’s account with a 5-0 win over Wicktoria Rogalinska – 30-27; 30:27, 30:27; 30:27, 29:28.

She’s through to the L16, and takes on USA’s Yoseline Perez in Monday’s Afternoon Session.

Speaking to Boxing Scene after her bout, Jenny said “I’m delighted that I came away with the win. The first day is always the hardest, getting the pre-fight nerves out of the way. So, it’s great to get through it – I’m looking forward to the next one” and, she adds “Yeah, I’m confident in my training. We’ve had a really good few months, training at home and abroad. I’ve put in the work and I’m hoping to reap the rewards.”

Team Ireland Co-Captain 60kg Adam Hession leaves the Championships with grace, following a storming, highly technical close-quarters bout against 18-year-old Australian, Jacob Cassar.

The decision was a 4-1 split: 29: 28; 29:28, 27: 30, 28: 29, 29:28.

Kelyn Cassidy exits on the narrowest of margins, following a dreaded 3-2 split decision against the Dominican Republic’s Noel Pacheco. This was a close bout throughout, with Kelyn’s most assured and effective work in the first and 3rd rounds. The judges scored the bout 30:27; 27:30; 30:27, 29:28; 28:29

Five Team Ireland boxers open their accounts today, Friday. The Afternoon Session begins at 11am; the evening session gets underway at 6pm.

50kg Louis Rooney, a 2024 European U22 champion, will first step between the ropes against Jordan’s Huthaifa Eshish. That’s Bout 5 of Ring B’s Evening Session.

Double Olympian and multiple Commonwealth Games medalist, 57kg Michaela Walsh is in a Last 32 contest against Saudi Arabia’s Hadeel Ashbour in Bout 5 of Ring A’s Evening Session.

Paris Olympian 65kg Grainne Walsh will face Slovakia’s Jessica Triebelova in Bout 4 of Ring A’s Afternoon Session. 75kg Gavin Rafferty is in a 75kg weight category with 23 other boxers – and has been drawn against Azerbaijan’s Saidjamshid Jafarov.

They meet in Bout 11 of Ring B’s Afternoon Session. While and 90+kg Martin McDonagh opens his account at the Last 32 stage, taking on India’s Narender Narender in Bout 10 of Ring A’s Evening Session.

World Boxing has partnered with Eurovision Sport to broadcast the Championship.

Sport for Business is listing the events each day in our Rolling Guide to TV on Sport and Streaming and will be reporting from the Championships throughout the week, including live from the arena on Friday.

 

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