(NOV 5) Two Golds and a
Bronze was the reward for a three strong IABA team at the
prestigious 2017 International Box Am Tournament in Santa Cruz,
Tenerife on Saturday when both Kellie Harrington and Grainne
Walsh struck Gold in their respective final bouts.
Harrington, the AIBA World Silver
medallist gained a comprehensive 5-0 decision over Romania’s
Christa Cosma with the result never in doubt as the Dublin
native, hit top form winning 30:25 30:26 30:27 30:26 30:26.
She told us from Ringside in Tenerife:
“I had a great fight and felt comfortable in there and listened
to what my Club (and also National Coach) Noel Burke and
Antoinette Faye were telling me. We had discussed tactics
beforehand and I followed them and took advice from the corner.
As always a great trip away with Team Ireland and I would like
to say thanks to all at the HPU for their help over this year –
they have been so supportive, it's ‘my home from home’ and so
too all at St. Mary’s Boxing Club Dublin they’re my boxing
Family.
Finally thanks to all my supporters they always give me the lift
I need in the good times but also when I hit bad times. So to
all who encourage and help me ‘day in and day out, a sincere
‘Thank you’ and I hope to continue making you all proud. I'm a
proud Dublin 1 ‘inner city woman today’ ❤
It was the third Sunday in May back in the year 2012, when a
newly formed boxing club was opened in Tullamore, Co. Offaly by
a young woman who herself was to become a household name in
world boxing circles in August of that year – yes, the newly
formed Spartacus Club in Tullamore was opened by one Katie
Taylor who but a few months later struck Gold for Ireland at the
Excel Centre in London Docklands when she defeated Russia’s
Sofya Ochigava in the Olympic 60 kg lightweight division final.
Among those watching that Tullamore opening ceremony, with young
brother Joseph, was the aforementioned Grainne Walsh. Now
herself an Irish Elite champion, she like the rest of the
country was following Taylor’s World title fight in Cardiff last
week with great interest and it is fitting therefore that just
over a week later, Grainne herself struck Gold, in Tenerife.
Shortly after her tough fight against Welsh titleholder and
European Silver medallist Eccles, the Spartacus fighter told us:
“Everyone thinks I was shocked to get the win. That's not the
case. There was confusion with the announcement. I knew it was
close and it was ‘a war’ in there but I felt I did the cleaner
and more effective combinations to come away with the win.
Respect to my opponent who is very talented. Thanks as usual to
all my friends and family and home and my sponsors. The support
is always 100%. I really DO appreciate it”.
It was a close fight as Grainne says and that was reflected in
the 3:2 majority verdict in her favour. Judges’ scorecards –
Walsh first- read: 29:28 29:28 29:28 28:29 27:30. There was
though some consolation for our Welsh friends as Lynsey Holdaway
defeated the evergreen Steluta Duta of Romania to take the 48kg
crown .
Dervla Duffy of the MBA Mulhuddart club took bronze but had the
consolation of knowing that the European Silver medallist who
defeated her was crowned 57kg champion. That title went to
Romanian, Lacramioara Perijoc ,who stopped her Swiss opponent,
Nicole von Kaenel, in the first minute of their final. Duffy
fought a gallant fight but the Romanian is one of the most
experienced boxers in European and World competition.
This was an annual tournament very well organised by the local
association in Tenerife on behalf of the Spanish National
Federation, Federacion Espanola de Boxeo, to whom
congratulations on such a fine presentation.
