BOXING:SOME OF the world's top boxing nations, including Ireland, Russia, Great Britain, Italy and Germany, will compete in this weekend's Olympic Test Event in London.
The Test begins tomorrow at the ExCel, the venue for boxing at the 2012 Olympics, and will be contested on a last-eight format in all weight divisions.
The Irish team arrived in London yesterday, and 2008 Olympic silver medallist Ken Egan, who has moved back down to light-heavyweight from heavyweight, is looking for quality.
“I didn’t take part in the last Olympic Test Event before Beijing so this will be a new one for me and I’m looking forward to getting in the ring and meeting quality opposition, he said.
“Some of the top nations will be there and we should get some competitive bouts.
“The objective is to get as many bouts as possible under my belt before the Nationals early next year.”
Egan, Declan Geraghty, David Oliver Joyce, Conrad Cummings, Tommy McCarthy and Con Sheehan have been selected on the six-man Irish team for London.
John Joe Nevin, Darren O’Neill and Michael Conlan have already qualified for the Olympics. The final Olympic qualifier for European male boxers will be held next April.
The May 2012 AIBA World Women’s Championships in China will act as the only Olympic qualifier for female boxers. Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, China, France, Britain, Greece, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Morocco, Russia, USA, Uzbekistan, Sweden and Thailand will box at the Olympic Test Event.
Meanwhile, the National Intermediate Championships quarter-finals will be decided at the National Stadium in Dublin on Friday and Saturday.
