European Games: Belfast light-flyweight Brendan Irvine into the quarter-finals

Such is the lavish efficiency with which these European Games are being run that even Billy Walsh was lured into a false sense of security. Not that Walsh didn't swiftly recover his corner.

To get to Crystal Hall – the boxing venue – from the Athletes Village, the shuttle bus takes the outer ring road, avoiding downtown Baku. To get Brendan Irvine here a little faster for yesterday afternoon's light-flyweight bout, Walsh decided they'd take a taxi – freely available, and for free, to every coach and competitor in Baku.

"Only instead of taking us to the boxing venue, he took us to the national boxing federation of Azerbaijan, " Walsh later explained. "So what should have taken us 40 minutes, by bus, ended up taking an hour and 40 minutes, by taxi. We won't be taking any more taxis."

Typical of the Irish boxing head coach, Walsh had still given themselves plenty of time to spare – so Irvine, the youngest member of the Irish boxing squad, arrived well ahead of his opening bout with Tinko Banabakov from Bulgaria.

Home favourite

Then, he swiftly conquered him, Irvine winning unanimously, 3-0, to set up Monday’s quarter-final bout with the number one seed and home favourite

Salman Alizada

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That will be a significantly more daunting challenge for Irvine, just tuned 19, from the St Paul's club in Belfast – with the offer of some significant experience too. He's come to Baku in place of fellow light-flyweight Paddy Barnes, the two-time Olympic bronze medallist who had already qualified for the Rio Olympics next summer.

For Irvine then, Baku is nearly all about the experience.

“This is my first senior championship, abroad, and it’s great to be out here, competing against top boxers, and a great learning experience,” said Irvine.

“It was a close fight, a very good fight, and went to plan, to get a fast start, win the first round. You need to win the first round, especially here, to get the win. I didn’t think I fought that well in the second round, but that’s the way it goes, I was trying to stay out and relax a bit and let him walk onto my shots.

"But it's a great experience, to represent your country at senior level, and it's been unbelievable to mix with the other boxers, Olympians, and Katie Taylor as well. Everything about these championships have been a great experience."

That’s been the theme within the boxing camp so far – although they’re not all here for the experience.

“That’s it, they start killing and eating each other from here on,” said Walsh, of the quarter-final bouts, where victory comes with the guarantee of at least one medal bout.

Also progressing to that stage yesterday was Ceire Smith, the 22-year-old flyweight from Cavan Boxing Club, who made it perfectly clear that she's not here for the experience after a unanimous 3-0 win over Norway's Camilla Johansen.

None of the Irish fighters are told who they fight next, until the actually get there – and for Smith up next is the Russian Saiana Sagataeva,

“Yeah, we never tell them who they fight next” confirmed Walsh. “We give them a day to enjoy it, if they win. We don’t tell them who they fight next. Then the next day we discuss who they fight next.”

Smith certainly talks a good fight, and with European and World championship experience already under her belt, looks to have the confidence of progressing further.

“I’m not here to make up the numbers,” she said. “We all come here to win our fights, and after the training and preparation that’s gone on with Billy, and Zaur (Antia, the technical coach), we know what we’re doing. It’s a team effort. People focus on the performance itself when you get in the ring, but they don’t appreciate the weeks, months, before it.

Unanimous decision

“She (Johansen) was tough, aggressive, fit, and kept coming at me, even after she took her shots. So I am happy with the performance. And the unanimous decision definitely gives me some peace of mind.”

Indeed the 12-strong Irish boxing squad have been in Baku since June 2nd, sharing a training camp with Bulgaria and Azerbaijan, and that preparation is already paying off.

“It’s been fantastic,” added Smith. “I’ve had the time to work on my technique and tactics will Billy and Zaur, the whole time, and that really paid off. I felt really confident coming into the ring today.

“I’ve been to the Worlds, and the Europeans, but it’s fantastic to be here for the first Games, representing my country. We’ve come out as a team, worked hard, and we’re enjoying the experience. We’ve some young boxers on the team, but without a doubt we’re one of the best teams here.”

With one of the best corners too, as Smith praised Walsh and Antia, the Georgian-born technical coach: “You’re learning from the best of both worlds really, two different styles, combing them to get the best performance. Zaur does a lot of movement, technique, even doing pad work, Billy is about some different technique and movement. I enjoy working with them both, very much . . . you know your corner people are so fantastic, and you have the best advice coming in.”