Tullamore boxer to take part in Elite competition in Belfast

Offaly boxer and Paris Olympian, Gráinne Walsh, will be between the ropes in Belfast next week when she opens her account in an Elite competition which will be a factor in determining the Team Ireland selection to contest the upcoming World Boxing Championships in Liverpool in September.

Walsh has been drawn against 19-year old Caprice Coiley from Clonard Amateur Boxing Club in Belfast at the semi-final stage and will box for a place in the finals against either Kaci Rock ( Holy Trinity Club, Belfast) or Linda Desmond (Rylane Club, Cork).

Both semi-finals at the new women's World Boxing weight of 65kg will get underway during the evening session at the Girdwood Community Hub, 10 Girdwood Avenue, Belfast on Wednesday next, June 4, with the 65kg finals scheduled to take place on Thursday, June 5.

The decision to hold a mid-year Elite Competition in Belfast was taken by the Central Council of the IABA in April in response to the landmark decision by clubs to relinquish their long association with the International Boxing Association (IBA) and affiliate with the newly-formed World Boxing grouping. The Belfast event – which is the first Elite boxing competition to be staged in the city - is a collaboration between Central Council and the High Performance Unit, with the support of the Ulster Provincial Council, Antrim County Board and Belfast City Council.

The World Boxing Championships in Liverpool, which will be the first such competition to be held under the auspices of World Boxing, are scheduled to take place from September 4 to 14 next.