GB Boxing and Ireland both kicked off their European Championships campaigns with wins in the first day of the competition in Samokov, Bulgaria today.
Welsh lightweight Joe Cordina outpointed Hungary’s Roland Galos and moves in to the second set of preliminary bouts on Tuesday [august 11].
Ireland’s Dean Gardiner also picked up a points win, beating Abdul Naser Delalic of Bosnia & Herzegovina in a super-heavyweight contest.
Gardiner will face No 1 seed Filip Hrgovic of Croatia in the Round of 16.
Irish captain Darren O’Neil boxes Lithuania’s Tadas Tamasauskos at heavyweight later this evening.
The European Championships is part of the qualification pathway for Rio 2016 and boxers that finish in the top six in their weight class in Sofia will secure a place at the AIBA World Championships in Doha in September 2015, which is a qualifying event for next year’s Olympic Games.
