Four more Irish boxers secured medals at the World Boxing Under-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro on Saturday, bringing the team’s total medal haul to six as John Donoghue, Kalib Walshe, Louise Joyce, and Jason Whelan won their quarter-final bouts to guarantee at least bronze.
Donoghue Wins Medal as Irish Talent Pipeline Grows
- Amateur Prospect Valuation: John Donoghue’s third international medal reinforces his status as a European youth prospect.
- Team Depth Metrics: Securing six guaranteed medals highlights the strong talent pipeline emerging from Irish clubs.
Quarter-Final Victories in Budva
Reigning 70kg European champion John Donoghue joined his brother Jason in the semi-finals following a unanimous decision win over Hungary’s Levente Turos. The Olympic BC Mullingar boxer controlled all three rounds on the judges’ scorecards to seal his third international medal. In the 60kg class, Kalib Walshe also secured at least a bronze with a dominant win over Algeria’s Smail Sahraoui. The Wexford fighter swept every round on all scorecards while alternating effectively between counter-punching on the back foot and initiating as the aggressor.
During the evening session at the tournament, Louise Joyce added a fifth medal for Ireland by defeating the US fighter Ciana Nonphala via a 32 split decision at 48kg. The former European medallist from Olympic BC Mullingar overcame a first-round deficit by boxing smartly on the back foot through the second and third frames. Co-captain Jason Whelan of the Dublin Docklands club then guaranteed his hardware with a clean 5-0 decision victory over Bulgaria’s Nikolay Sabev in the 75kg quarter-finals.
| Athlete | Club / Location | Weight Class | Result / Round | Medal Secured |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Donoghue | Olympic BC Mullingar | 70kg | Won via Unanimous Decision vs. Levente Turos | Bronze (Min.) |
| Kalib Walshe | Wexford | 60kg | Won via Unanimous Decision vs. Smail Sahraoui | Bronze (Min.) |
| Louise Joyce | Olympic BC Mullingar | 48kg | Won via Split Decision (3-2) vs. Ciana Nonphala | Bronze (Min.) |
| Jason Whelan | Dublin Docklands | 75kg | Won via Decision (5-0) vs. Nikolay Sabev | Bronze (Min.) |
Bailey, Snoddon and Byrne Exit Tournament After Narrow Losses
Not all Irish bouts on Saturday resulted in advancement. Co-captain Grace Bailey of Castelbar BC exited the tournament after a unanimous decision loss to India’s Harsika Harsika in a physical 65kg quarter-final encounter. At 55kg, Lee Largey Snoddon of Immaculata BC in Belfast lost a tight 3-2 split decision to Azerbaijan’s Nihat Gasimov in a bout featuring standing counts for both competitors. Kayleigh Byrne of Gorey ABC experienced a similar narrow exit at 51kg, dropping a 3-2 split decision to Uzbekistan’s Nazokat Mardonova after falling behind early and forcing a late standing count.
Ireland’s six semi-finalists return to the ring on Sunday, where John Donoghue, Jason Donoghue, Kalib Walshe, Louise Joyce, Jason Whelan, and Kaysie Joyce will compete for the chance to upgrade their medals.
