IRELAND STRIKES GOLD
Ireland’s Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’rourke triumph in Turkey as they both win World championship gold medals, writes John Dennen
IN an extraordinary evening of boxing in Istanbul, Ireland’s Amy Broadhurst
and Lisa O’rourke
both won World championship gold medals in back-to-back finals on Thursday (May 19).
At 63kgs Amy Broadhurst boxed with assured authority to ultimately outpoint Algeria’s Imane Khelif unanimously. The latter began the first round well, using her lead left to catch Broadhurst. But the Irish southpaw was undeterred. She began to work round Khelif’s jab, closing in to land a thumping left cross.
Broadhurst’s momentum continued to build. A quick jab shot out, she followed it with a left to the body. She would force Khelif back, scooping her back hand up and then hacking down with the right. Khelif picked out an opening with her right, but Broadhurst marched after her as the Algerian backed off. Amy swept a lead hook through. She had built a lead going into the third round, but rather than coasting made sure she left no doubt in the final three minutes. She sprang forward, timing her attacks with well-judged aggression. The lead hook hit again and a firm left cross drove straight through. She kept up that front-foot pressure and took a clear unanimous victory at the final stage.
“I have been dreaming about this moment since my childhood and I worked almost 20 years to win a big championship. I had to be patient today and not make any mistakes,” Amy said. “I felt in the second round that my strategy worked and I knew that I could make it. I don’t remember what my coach Zaur Antia told me in the second break but I gave everything in the third.”
Broadhurst’s semi-final against India’s Parveen had been a tighter affair. Parveen lined up straight one-twos to repel Broadhurst’s advance. But the Irish boxer countered with a solid cross, catching Parveen’s chin. In the second round they engaged with good exchanges but for the most part it was Broadhurst who pushed forward and forced Parveen back. Broadhurst worked with a greater touch of accuracy in the last round, leading with her left cross and moving clear. She stayed busy, landing hooks on Parveen before the final bell and taking a split decision victory.
Energy and industry as well as skill were crucial to Lisa O’rourke in her exciting 70kgs World final. Boxing Alcinda Panguane, the Mozambique Olympian who had eliminated Bolton’s Cindy Ngamba earlier in the tournament. Panguane, a southpaw, fired a good straight left into O’rourke. But the Irish light-middleweight moved well on her feet, controlling the distance between them as she retreated at one moment before pausing suddenly to land a quick
right hand or stand and trade. O’rourke’s left hook was effective too, either when she led with it to set up her cross or when she used it to finish an attack.
O’rourke was throwing good quality combinations but Panguane remained measured in her approach. Neither could afford to let the last round slip away. The Mozambique southpaw started to give some ground in the third, to make space for her own punches. But O’rourke was making sure she worked hard herself. Her right cross connected and she slammed a left through her opponent’s defences. O’rourke took a split decision victory.
“I can’t find any words now,” O’rourke said. “I won the European under-22 boxing championships in Croatia this March but this is something unexpected for me. My plan is always to be on the top of the podium but I am over the moon after this.”
In her semi-final the day before O’rourke had met host nation boxer
Sema Caliskan. By the second round though Lisa could tip Caliskan back with a three-punch combination. She slashed her right across and in the third O’rourke was landing clean shots. Her right hooks were telling blows and O’rourke carved out a unanimous decision win over the Turkish boxer.
Ireland head coach Zaur Antia said, “Amy and Lisa’s technical, tactical and athletic performances in their bouts today showed their commitment and dedication to preparation for this tournament. All Team Ireland boxers performed well in Istanbul and are better, more experienced boxers for having contested here. Amy and Lisa’s victories are magnificent achievements, and they should enjoy every moment of their wins. Team Ireland coaches John Conlan, Eoin Pluck and Noel Burke have done fantastic work throughout the tournament – so, too have each and every Team Ireland boxer’s club coaches in pre-preparation for the competition.”
Their double gold triumph is sign of the quality there is among Irish boxers, particularly in the women’s sport. Kellie Harrington, the reigning Olympic gold medallist, is recovering from an injury so could not even enter this competition. Tokyo Olympians Aoife O’rourke and Michaela Walsh did not medal at this tournament but will certainly be contenders at future international events.
The feat has been achieved while there is some turmoil behind the scenes of Irish amateur boxing. Bernard Dunne, the performance director of Ireland’s High Performance Unit, had resigned from his post before the start of these World championships. Even then he was backed publicly by boxers like Kellie Harrington, who said that she “would like to see him change his mind, but it’s hard to when you’re not allowed to do your job the way it should be done. He was a great director of the [High Performance Unit].”