Team Ireland’s pathway towards the global podium begins this week as an 11-strong squad travels to Foz do Iguaçu for the opening leg of the 2026 World Boxing Cup series.
The tournament marks the first of three ranking events in the newly structured international series, designed to provide elite male and female boxers with opportunities to accumulate points on the road to major championships. With close to 400 athletes from 50 national federations in attendance, the competition represents one of the most significant gatherings on the amateur boxing calendar.
Ireland’s squad combines Olympic experience with emerging talent. Six Olympians — Daina Moorehouse, Jenny Lehane, Michaela Walsh, Jude Gallagher, Dean Clancy and Jack Marley — are joined by 2025 World bronze medallist Patsy Joyce and European U23 medallist Louis Rooney. The team reflects a strong geographical spread across the island, with athletes representing clubs in Belfast, Dublin, Leitrim, Louth, Tyrone, Westmeath and Wicklow.
The opening days of competition will see immediate Irish involvement across multiple weight categories. Jude Gallagher is among the first in action, beginning his campaign at 60kg against Kazakhstan’s Zhanseri Kosherbayev. Jack Marley will also step into the ring on day one in the heavyweight division, facing Italy’s Dean Nwokedi Chime, while Jon McConnell opens his tournament in the 70kg category against Farukh Tokhtassunov.
Elsewhere, Daina Moorehouse starts her challenge at 51kg against New Zealand’s Ashley Belk, while Michaela Walsh renews a recent rivalry with USA’s Alyssa Mendoza, having previously defeated her at the Strandja Tournament earlier this year. Jenny Lehane and Patsy Joyce both benefit from byes into the last 16 of their respective categories, while Evelyn Igharo also advances directly to that stage and will meet Mexico’s Citlallo Vanessa Ortiz.
Louis Rooney will begin his campaign at 50kg in the last 16 against Morocco’s Issam Bensayar, as he looks to build on recent international success.
The scale and depth of the competition — featuring nations such as Kazakhstan, USA, Italy and China — underlines the importance of the series as a proving ground for elite-level performance.
Team Ireland will be led by Head Coach Damian Kennedy, supported by coaches Lynne McEnery, James Doyle and Jay Delaney, alongside physiotherapist Rob Tuomey and performance analyst Alan Swanton.
As the opening chapter of the World Boxing Cup series unfolds, the event provides not only a competitive benchmark but also a strategic opportunity for Ireland’s boxers to build momentum in an increasingly structured international pathway.
Image Credit: Boxing Ireland and Dave Fitzgerald, Sportsfile.
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