Boxing: National Youth Championships

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By Michael O’Neill

The future is bright for Irish boxing judging by Saturday's National Youth Finals at the National Stadium in Dublin. In action were many potential stars of the future, male and female.

One of these champions you may become familiar with in the coming years is European Youth silver medallist, Christine Gargan.

Arguably the most exciting of the women’s championship finals was that at 54kg where Christine Gargan, from the St George’s Club in Belfast, was brought all the way down to the wire by Mayo’s Lycia Heneghan.

The see-saw duel for bantamweight supremacy went to a count back after both boxers finished tied at 9-9, with Gargan coming from behind to level in the final round before taking the title on accepted scores (27-24).

Gargan made her Irish senior debut earlier this year against Holland .
The new champion, one of Ireland’s many bright prospects for the future, told EuropeanIrish :

“It feels brilliant. all the hard work has paid off, it also feels that extra bit better because the Youths is a step up from the All Irelands at the start of this month so it is a big achievement for me.

It was a good fight, I wouldn’t say it was my toughest fight. I fought the way the coaches Danny (Boyd)and Jim (Mc Givern) told me to whilst warming up as I knew what way to deal with Lycia after fighting her in the All Ireland finals 2 weeks prior to this competition.

Thankfully I beat her although it was tough mentally . After being told in the corner I had lost the 2nd and 3rd round and was 9-8 down going into the final round, I thought to myself that it couldn’t be right as I thought I had won every round but I knew I had to go out a give it everything in the last round.

Once I got the decision I was delighted as I felt I deserved it!"

As to her future in the sport?

“I’m straight back to training in order to improve over the summer and be in shape for any fights that may arise. I’ll speak with my coaches Danny, Jim and Barry Torley and discuss the u22's in the summer and see how they feel about entering them.

Then there is the Europeans in November in Poland so hopefully the IABA will send a team.

I will also be travelling to London with some of my club mates and my coach Jim Mc Givern to watch some of the boxing in the Olympics in early August which will be a priceless experience.

It will also be good to get the feel of the Olympic Games as that’s where I aspire to be in 2016! ”

We wish Christine and the rest of the champions, further success for themselves and for Ireland in the years ahead.