From Neil Loughran in Milan
AFTER a year out of the ring, Aidan Walsh wasn’t in the mood for hanging about as he swept easily into the last 32 of the World Olympic qualifier in Busto Arsizio on Tuesday.
The Tokyo 2020 bronze medallist, Ireland’s only boxer in action on Tuesday, proved far too strong for the UAE’s Husain Alkandari, forcing three standing counts in the first round before the referee waved the contest off.
Light-middleweight Walsh hadn’t boxed competitively since the Strandja multi-nations tournament in February 2023, and it was unclear whether he remained in the picture for Olympic qualification after failing to enter last October’s Irish elite championships.
However, with big sister Michaela already assured of her spot at Paris 2024, the 26-year-old will be aiming to join her as a back-to-back Olympian. Walsh goes on to face Brazil’s Wanderson de Oliveira in the morning session on Thursday.
“We had watched that guy, we knew Aidan had a great chance against him. He’s relatively new on the scene but we gave Aidan a plan and he executed it to perfection,” said Irish coach Damian Kennedy.
“He’s in a great place, every challenge is going to get tougher from here. The Brazilian next and we’ll do the same thing, prepare him as best we can, sit down and put a plan together and let him to do his business.
“It’s a good first one to get over the line.”
Back in the ring on Wednesday, meanwhile, is super-heavyweight Martin McDonagh.
The Crumlin man - who claimed three Irish titles in a 10-month period last year – got Ireland’s Italian job off to a flying start on Sunday when defeating the experienced Ferely Ali Feliz from the Dominican Republic via unanimous decision.
McDonagh, the least experienced member of the Irish squad, steps between the ropes at the E-Work Arena to take on Turkey’s Yusuf Acik on Wednesday afternoon.
As with the rest of the Irish team, McDonagh must advance beyond the quarter-final of this World Olympic qualifier to achieve his dream of making it to Paris this summer, meaning he requires three more wins.
Unlike in previous years, this qualifier only runs up to the quarter- finals in most weight categories, with four quota places up for grabs. The exceptions are women’s 57kg, where only two qualify and therefore semi-finals are required, while there are three places up for grabs in the women’s 60kg category, where a box-off will assign the final quota spot.
As a result, the quarter-finals which decide whose dreams are made, and whose fall by the wayside, will take place on Sunday, March 10 and Monday, March 11.
Veteran Acik, who was fought the likes of world-level professionals Joseph Parker – trained by Andy Lee – and Filip Hrgovic in the past, holds the edge in experience but McDonagh will have taken plenty of confidence from his opening day win.
Friday is already shaping up to a huge day for Irish boxing, with Tyrone’s Jude Gallagher, Kelyn Cassidy, Daina Moorehouuse and Grainne Walsh, in her first bout of the qualifier, all in action.
Newtownstewart bantamweight Gallagher hit the ground running with victory over Algerian Hichem Maouche on Monday, and now comes up against Husam Mohammed. The Indian will have former Irish High Performance director Bernard Dunne in his corner.