Michael Conlan will be keeping an eye on proceedings in the flyweight class at the ExCel tonight.
Michael Conlan (blue) in action
Michael Conlan will have more than a passing interest in bout No. 60 at the 2012 Olympics Games at the ExCel in London tonight.
Duke Akueth of Ghana and Jason Oliver Lavigilante of Mauritius are slated to meet in the above duel and the winner will advance to face Conlan, who received a bye into the last-16, on Friday.
John Joe Nevin’s Paris United (WSB) team-mate, Nordine Ouballi of France, is also in action tonight, versus Ajmal Faisal of Afghanistan.
Ouballi, who Conlan beat at the 2011 AIBA World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan, will be expected to advance from that encounter to meet 2007 AIBA World champion Raushee Warren (USA), also on Friday.
The winner of that three-rounder will then face either number 6 seed Conlan, Akueth or Lavigilante in the quarter-finals on August 7th.
Nevin will be the next Irish boxer between the ropes on Wednesday afternoon in the bantamweight class.
The two-time AIBA World medalists faces Kazakhstan’s Kanat Abutalipov in the last-16.
Abutalipov, who was beaten 15-2 by Nevin in the 2009 AIBA President’s Cup, qualified for the Olympics through the World Series of Boxing (WSB) Individual Series after beating Ouballi, who trades leather at bantamweight in the WSB, in the 2011 final. He also claimed a first prize of $20,000 for that win.
Ireland have made a perfect start to London 2012 with team captain Darren O’Neill, Nevin and Adam Nolan recording three wins out of three.
Nolan beat Ecuadorian welterweight Carlos Sanchez Estacio last night and will now go head-to-head with Russia’s Andrey Zamkovoy in a battles of the southpaws on Friday.
Zamkovoy beat Ireland’s Willie McLaughlin 16-7 in the quarter-finals of the 2009 AIBA World Championships in Milan.
Nolan beat McLaughlin 17-12 in the semi-finals of the 2012 Irish Elite Championships en route to his second title at Dublin’s National Stadium.
Combined with Conlan’s and Paddy Barnes’ byes, the hat-trick of victories on Saturday and Sunday ensures that all five Irish male boxers are through to the last-16.
Billy Walsh
Number one seed Katie Taylor has received a bye into the quarter-finals and will be in action next Monday versus either Great Britain’s Natasha Jonas or Queen Underwood of the USA.
“We’ve had a good start. Three wins out of three is all you can ask for and we’re delighted with those wins, said Irish head coach Billy Walsh.
“The morale is great in the squad and getting the wins are a great boost.We have another big week ahead of us now and we’ll be trying to keep the ball rolling.”
2012 Olympic Games
.July 28th – Last 32
56kg – Bantamweight – John Joe Nevin (Ireland) beat Dennis Villy Ceylan (Denmark) 21-6
75kg – Middleweight – Darren O’Neill (Ireland) beat Muideen Olalekan Akanji (Nigeria) 15-6
July 29th – Last 32
69kg – Welterweight – Adam Nolan (Ireland) beat Carlos Sanchez Estacio (Ecuador) 14-8
August 1st – Last 16 (1.30pm session)
56kg – Bantamweight – John Joe Nevin (Ireland) v Kanat Abutalipov (Kazakhstan)
August 2nd – Last 16 (1.30pm session)
75kg – Middleweight – Darren O’Neill (Ireland) v Stefan Haertel (Germany)
August 3rd – Last 16 (8.30pm session)
52kg – Flyweight – Michael Conlan (Ireland) v Duke Akueth Micah (Ghana) or Jason Olivier Lavigilante (Mauritius)
69kg – Welterweight – Adam Nolan (Ireland) v Andrey Zamkovoy (Russia)
August 4th – Last 16 (1.30pm session)
49kg – Light-flyweight – Paddy Barnes (Ireland) v Abdelali Darra (Morocco) or Thomas Essomba (Cameroon)
August 6th – Quarter-final (1.30pm session)
60kg – Lightweight – Katie Taylor (Ireland) v Queen Underwood (USA) or Natasha Jonas (Great Britain)
Irish 2012 Olympic squad
49Kg (Light-flyweight) Paddy Barnes (Holy Family BC, Belfast)
52kg (Flyweight) Michael Conlan (St John Bosco BC, Belfast)
56kg (Bantamweight) John Joe Nevin (Cavan BC)
60kg (Lghtweight) Katie Taylor (Bray BC, Wicklow)
69kg (Welterweight) Adam Nolan (Bray BC, Wicklow)
75kg (Middleweight) Darren O’Neill (Paulstown BC, Kilkenny)
Team Manager: Des Donnelly
Coaches: Billy Walsh, Zuar Antia, Pete Taylor
Physio: Conor McCarthy
Strength & Conditioning: John Cleary
Performance Psychologist: Gerry Hussey
