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OB Sports World Boxing Championships
Special
By Bernard O'Neill
(NOV 26) Sports fans are reminded that they can see highlights of the recent
AIBA World Championships and Olympics qualifiers at the University of
Illinois in Chicago on OB Sports on RTE2 at 8.30pm tonight.
The highlights will include footage of Irish light flyweight Paddy Barnes
who secured qualification for next years Olympics in Beijing after reaching
the quarter finals in Chicago.
Twenty year old reigning Irish senior and Ulster 48Kg champion Barnes, from
the Holy Family club in Belfast, was eliminated in the last eight by Chinese
reigning World champion Shiming Zou who went on to retain his title in
Chicago.
However, in reaching the quarter finals Barnes ensured that Ireland will
have at least one boxer at the Beijing Olympics
in 2008.
Four other Irish boxers, Ken Egan, Darren Sutherland, Eric Donovan and John
Sweeney reached the last 16 in the Windy City, with Sutherland, Donovan and
Sweeney going out to opponents that reached their respective finals.
The 2007 AIBA World Championships were acting as the first qualifier for the
2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.
There will be two final Olympic qualifiers for European boxers in Pescara
Italy between February 24th and March 2nd, and Athens, Greece from April
7th/14th.
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