BOXING:CHING-KUO WU, president of the World Amateur Boxing Association AIBA, has described Ireland's Katie Taylor as a role model for women's boxing and sportsmanship.
Wu was speaking in Beijing at the launch of the countdown timer for the 2012 AIBA Women’s World Championships which begin in Qinghuangdao, China, on May 23rd. Taylor will be aiming for her fourth World lightweight title in a row at the championships which will act as the only qualifier for female boxers for the London Olympics.
“I think Katie Taylor is not only a good boxer, but that she has absolutely the right image,” said Wu, who was a guest of the Irish Amateur Boxing Association at last month’s European Youth Championships in Dublin.
“She’s a very, very good boxer and she also demonstrates very good sportsmanship. She is a very good model for the future of women’s boxing.”
Taylor, who will be aiming for her fifth European title in a row in Rotterdam next month, is presently with the Irish Elite men’s squad in training camp in Cologne.
The 10-man Elite squad are preparing for the AIBA World Men’s Championships and Olympic qualifiers which begin in Baku, Azerbaijan, on September 26th. The squad had a series of test matches with Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Norway and Moldova yesterday.
Taylor (1), Joe Ward (2), John Joe Nevin (4), Ray Moylette (6), Paddy Barnes (8), Darren O’Neill (9) and Ken Egan (13), all of whom are with the Irish squad in Cologne, are ranked in the top 15 in the world in the AIBA Men’s and Women’s rankings.
Meanwhile, Nick Firtha donned a Kerry jersey yesterday ahead of his non-title heavyweight fight with Tyson Fury in Belfast on Saturday (live Channel 5).
The American’s grandfather came from Kerry, but the home crowd will be firmly in Fury’s corner, who comes from Manchester, but has represented Ireland at international level.
Gamblers are reported to be heavily backing Victor Ortiz to cause a major shock on Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Despite being the WBC Welterweight champion, “Vicious” is just 11 to 2 to beat Floyd Mayweather (41-0) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
