O'Kane, Joyce, Hickey Bow Out
by Bernard O'Neill
November 14, 2008
There was triple disappointment for
Ireland at the 37th European Senior Championships in Liverpool tonight
after Eamon O'Kane, John Joe Joyce and Ross Hickey lost their semi bouts
at the Greenbank Academy. However, despite the hat trick of
reversals all three will be taking home bronze, boosting Ireland's medal
haul since the 1939 European Senior Championships in Dublin to thirty
six.
Eamon O'Kane, one of the great stalwarts of Irish boxing, was the last
Irish boxer into the ring tonight, but the Immaculata Belfast
middleweight had to accept second best after he was beaten 10-2 by Maxim
Koptyakov of Russia.
Earlier in this evenings semi final bouts, Ross Hickey and John Joe
Joyce bowed out following defeats to Vazgen Safaryants of Belarus and
Hungarian light welterweight Gyula Kate, who Joyce beat at the 2008
Olympics.
But there was no repeat of the St Michael's Athy mans impressive
performance in Beijing on Merseyside this evening as Kate had his hand
raised in victory on an 8-2 verdict - Joyce received a public warning
for holding in the fourth round of this bout.
Hickey was the first Irish boxer between the ropes. However, despite a
brave performance the Grangecon lightweight lost out 9-3 to Safaryants,
who earned two of his points after Hickey received a public warning for
holding in the third frame.
The preliminary rounds (up to and including tonight's semi finals) of
the European Senior Championships were held at the Greenbank Academy.
The finals will be held at the Echo Arena in Liverpool on Saturday
November 15th.
All eleven finals will be televised live by TG4 starting at 7pm.
Friday is a rest day at the European Senior Championships. The Irish
squad will return home on Sunday morning.
37th European Senior Championships Results
November 6th (Preliminary)
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Abdullah Dursion (Turkey) 9-4
69Kg: Willie McLoughlin (Ireland) beat Mariano Hillario Jimenez (Spain)
14-5
November 8th (Last 16)
51Kg: Conor Ahern (Ireland) lost to Salomo N'Tuve (Sweden) Disq4
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Samir Mammadov (Azerbaijan) 11-3
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) beat Oleksandr Kluchko (Ukraine) 10-7
69Kg: Willie McLoughlin (Ireland) lost to Jack Culcay-Keth (Germany) 2-7
November 9th (Last 16)
57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) beat Joe Murray (England) 16-3
81Kg: Darren O'Neill (Ireland) lost to Nikolajs Grishunins (Latvia) 5-11
November 10th (Last 16)
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat John Tain (Scotland) 20-3
75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) beat Adem Kiliggi (Turkey) 7-6
91Kg: Con Sheehan (Ireland) beat Viktar Chvarkou (Belarus) 10-2
November 11th (Quarter Finals)
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) lost to Denis Makarov (Germany) 4-5
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) beat Famil Suleymanov (Azerbaijan) 6-1
November 12th (Quarter Finals)
57Kg:David Oliver Joyce (Ireland) lost to Vasyl Lomachenko (Ukr) 2-10
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) beat Dimitar Stilianov (Bulgaria) 9-7
75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) beat Andranik Hakoyban (Armenia) 6-4
91Kg: Con Sheehan (Ireland) lost to Petrisor Gananau (Romania) 2-4
November 13th (Semi Finals)
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) lost to Vazgen Safaryants (Belarus) 3-9
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (Ireland) lost to Gyula Kate (Hungary) 2-8
75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Ireland) lost to Maxim Koptyakov (Russia) 2-10
Irish European Senior Championships Squad And Management
51Kg:(Flyweight) Conor Ahern (Baldoyle)
54Kg:(Bantamweight) Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata)
57Kg: (Featherweight) David Oliver Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
60Kg: (Lightweight) Ross Hickey (Grangecon)
64Kg: (Light welterweight) John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
69Kg: (Welterweight) Willie McLoughlin (Illies GG)
75Kg: (Middleweight) Eamon O'Kane (Immaculata)
81Kg: (Light heavyweight) Darren O'Neill (Paulstown)
91Kg: (Heavyweight) Con Sheehan (Clonmel)
Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Billy Walsh and Zuar Antia
Physio. Scott Murphy
