Ireland Win Three
Gold's
By Bernard O'Neill
April 13, 2009
(APR 13) Ryan Lindberg and Tommy
McCarthy claimed gold in Albania tonight to finish Ireland's Shkodra
Memorial Cup campaign on a high note. Lindberg,
who boxes out of the Immaculata club in Belfast, saw off the
challenge of Greek bantamweight Kodaxis Vasildos, winning 11-3 over
three rounds in Tirana.
And McCarthy, of the Oliver Plunkett club in Belfast, made it an
Irish double following his 8-4 victory over Swiss light heavyweight
David Rathusger.
But Ross Hickey, a bronze medal winner at the 2008 European
Championships in Liverpool, lost out 10-9 to Zllaticanin Monilkljo
of Montenegro in the lightweight final.
Reigning European Union champion David Oliver Joyce did not
compete in the eight nation tournament because no one entered
his weight category.
However, the St Michael's Athy featherweight still collects a
gold medal to take Ireland's haul from Tirana to three gold and
one silver.
In Sundays semi finals, Declan Geraghty lost 7-3 to French
2007 World Championships bronze medalist Oubaali Nordini and
Roy Sheahan was beaten 8-3 by Albanian light welterweight
Jetmir Kuci.
Meanwhile, Eamon O'Kane has replaced Irish
senior middleweight champion Darren O'Neill on the Irish Ahmet Cup squad
squad which depart for Turkey tomorrow.
The IABA have named World champion Katie
Taylor and 2008 Olympic bronze medalist Paddy Barnes in a nine
strong panel for the tournament which gloves off in Istanbul this
Tuesday night.
O'Neill picked up a hand injury in sparring
and has been replaced by O'Kane, who was originally named in the Irish
squad for
Albania.
The Irish squad depart for Istanbul this
Tuesday morning.
Shkodra Memorial Cup Tirana Albania
Results April 11th/13th
Semi Finals April 12th
51Kg: Declan Geraghty (Ireland) lost to
Oubaali Nordini (France) 3-7
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Zendaoui
Brahin (France) 7-6
69Kg: Roy Sheahan (Ireland) lost to Jetmir
Kuci (Albania) 3-8
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) W/O
81Kg: Tommy McCarthy (Ireland) W/O
Finals April 13th
54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Ireland) beat Kodaxis
Vasildos (Greece) 11-3
60Kg: Ross Hickey (Ireland) lost to
Zllaticanin Monilkljo (Montenegro) 9-10
81Kg: Thomas McCarthy (Ireland) beat David
Rathusger (Switzerland) 8-4
Team Manager: Joe Hennigan
Coaches: Patsy McAllister & Jim Halpin
Physio: Scott Murphy
Irish Squad Ahmet Cup Istanbul Turkey April 14th/20th
48Kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family)
54Kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan)
57Kg: Carl Frampton (Midland)
60Kg: Eric Donovan (St Michael's Athy)
60Kg: Katie Taylor (Bray BC)
64Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael's Athy)
69Kg: Willie McLoughlin (Illies GG)
75Kg: Eamon O'Kane (Immaculata)
91Kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel)
