Daina sets off for World Youths
ENNISKERRY BC’S Daina Moorehouse claimed her sixth All-Ireland title as she prepares for the upcoming World Youth Championships in Budapest,Hungary.
It was to prove a tough but highly beneficial Under-18 final against Ciara Walsh of Smithfield.
Despite a unanimous win for Daina, her opponent was a durable and tough opponent. Coach Paul O’Toole was delighted with the win and declared it, ‘an ideal test ahead of the Worlds’.
Remarkably it is Moorehouse’s second All-Ireland Under-18 title this year and she now stands undefeated since 2016.
Equally remarkable is the fact she is still only 16 and still qualifies as a Youth boxer again next year.
As two-time European champion she knows the magnitude of the task ahead of her in Budapest.
Qualifying as European champion is only the start of the task ahead. Never before has there been such stiff competition with 17 of the world’s finest light flyweights vying to be crowned the best in the world. Whilst Daina is confident in her own ability she knows it will be her greatest challenge to date.
‘I will have nerves but after a two week training camp in Cuba this June and training in the High Performance at Abbotstown as well as in the club I feel I have put in the necessary work and I will go out to do my best to achieve my dream,’ she said.
Daina will have plenty of support in Budapest as her parents John and Melissa along with her Enniskerry club coaches will travel out on August 21 to cheer her on.
The club are extremely grateful to Shoreline, Bray, for making their incredible facilties and expertise available to Daina, along with Tesco, Bray Travellers Community Development Group, Dunnes Stores and Fightstore Ireland who have all helped with sponsorship.
It was a nice boost to recently hear twotime Olympic medallist Paddy Barnes declare Daina his favourite amateur boxer in Ireland.
Such accolades are always welcome but there is only one accolade that Enniskerry’s Golden Girl has her sights on and that is a World gold coming home with her at the end of August.