Carleigh Irving will sport the scars of battle and a silver medal from the European U22 Championships. The Oakleaf Boxing Club minimumweight will bring home silver from Sofia after losing a split decision in the 48kgs final on Saturday. Turkey’s Nursselen Yalgattekin got the better of the Derry woman in the final.
Irving was bloodied close to the left eye towards the second round. The bout began in something of an explosive fashion with Irving looking at home behind a solid left jab. The second was rather messier, with Yalgattekin growing into the bout.
Just shy of the clapper, the referee stepped in and Irving, leaking crimson, was looked at by a medic at ringside. Irving found some solace on the stool for the next minute and put in a strong performance over the final three minutes. Alas, the judges sided with Yalgattekin who tops the charts and goes home with the gold.
At the 2019 European Schoolgirls Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia, Irving – who was then boxing out of the Illies Golden Gloves club in Donegal – won a bronze medal. There, having beaten Pinar Ozkan from Turkey, Irving lost out to England’s Jessica Keeton in a semi-final. Later today, Castlerea BC light-middle Lisa O’Rourke goes up against IBA-B’s Darya Letsko in the 70kgs final.
On Sunday, 48kgs Louis Rooney and 54kgs Patsy Joyce will go for gold in finals while Robyn Kelly, Clepson dos Santos, Bobbi Flood and Martin McDonagh have won bronze medals. Team Ireland 48kg Carleigh Irving, Oakleaf Box.