JUST 19 years old and with only five senior amateur contests under his belt, Irish heavyweight Cathal O'Grady goes into the ring today at the European Championships in Denmark with his Olympic dream on the line. A straight box off against Sergei Dychkov (Belarus) who won a silver medal at the 1994 world junior championships as light heavy weight will decide if the young Meath man will reach the pinnacle of a fledgling career.
Dyehkov was just denied a place in the quarter finals when succumbing to reigning European champion, Georgi Kandelaki (Georgia). No doubt, he will be no pushover and O'Grady will want to be at his best to gain a seat on the plane to Atlanta.
As for light welterweight, Francis Barrett, the Galway man will take on Adrian Suteu (Austria) tomorrow at 10 a.m. in what is, to all intents and purposes, an Olympic trial. In fact, these two resorted to drawing lots to see who would battle it out for the ninth available Olympic spot at the weight.
The sole Irish survivor in the championships proper, flyweight Damaen Kelly faces into his semi final bout with Russian champion, Albert Paekiev, tomorrow at two o clock, buoyed by three convincing pertbrmances to date.
. European and Commonwealth bantamweight champion Johnny Armour, charged with a string of criminal offences, lost his bid yesterday to be released from jail.
Armour, 27, has been charged with assaulting three policemen, possessing a brass knuckleduster, drink driving and dangerous driving.
Medway magistrates remanded him in custody, but the boxer's legal team took the case to Maidstone Crown Court to try and have that decision overturned.
Their failure to do so means that Armour is unlikely to defend his titles against Denmark's Johnny Bredahl in Copenhagen on a date to be arranged in May.
Armour's manager, Micky Duff, commented: "I am very, very disappointed, but we may now try the High Court, although obviously I will need to seek legal advice first.
"I have seen Johnny several times since he was remanded in custody by the magistrate and I have to say he is taking it very well - far better than me."
