JOHN DOCHERTY booked his place in the semi-finals of the Commonwealth Games when he beat Englandโs top middleweight Ben Whittaker. The GB rivals had boxed before, in the Commonwealth Youth Games in fact. The Scotsman prevailed again in the senior version. He won by split decision in a close bout, often marred by clinches. Docherty is now guaranteed a medal.
Dochertyโs team mate at 52kgs, Reece McFadden will join him in the semi-finals after he beat Pakistanโs Syed Assif on a unanimous decision.
English lightweight Paige Murney is now guaranteed a medal, after she unanimously outpointed Northern Irelandโs Alanna Nihell. โWeโve boxed each other six times and Iโm winning 4-2 now so I think that bout was the easiest Iโve ever made it,โ Murney told the BBC.
โIโve only been boxing around five years and itโs just my ninth international fight so to do it on this stage is amazing and Iโm ready to change the colour now โ and bring that gold medal back to Leicester and England.โ
Northern Ireland have two semi-finalists in Brendan Irvine and Stephen Donnelly. Irvine beat Botswanaโs Rajab Mahommed, while Donnelly defeated Samoaโs Henry Tyrell.
After beating New Zealandโs Tasmyn Benny, Kristina OโHara will represent Northern Ireland in the light-flyweight final against Indian legend Mary Kom.