BOXING:RAY MOYLETTE unleashed his entire arsenal in the final round to oust Latvia's Arturs Ahmetous and make it three wins in-a-row for Ireland at the World Championships and Olympics qualifiers in Azerbaijan yesterday.
The Mayo light-welterweight, the current European champion, was trailing 8-7 but found the target nine times in the third and final frame to register a 16-11 win in Baku.
Moylette, who boxes out of the St Anne’s BC, was 5-4 down at the end of the first and drew the second 3-3 with Ahmetous yesterday and will now meet Manoj Kumar of India in the last-32 tomorrow.
Joe Ward, Con Sheehan, Michael Conlan and Roy Sheehan will also be involved in last-32 bouts tomorrow in what will be a key day for Ireland’s ten-man Elite squad in Baku.
If Moylette, Ward, Roy Sheehan and Conlan win then they will be just one victory away each from the quarter-finals and automatic qualification for the 2012 Olympics.
Sheehan has to reach the semi-finals to book his ticket for the 30th Olympiad as super-heavyweights and heavyweights must make the last-four to secure qualification.
“Ray wasn’t throwing enough punches in the first two rounds today as for every one he was throwing the Latvian lad was throwing two,” said Irish team manager Des Donnelly.
“But he had a fantastic third round and really pulled it out of the bag to show what he’s made of. We’ll have a very busy day on Sunday – we’ll have to bring a packed lunch with us.”
Meanwhile, Darren O’Neill and David Oliver Joyce will both between the ropes this morning and early afternoon for last-64 duels versus boxers from Norway and Iran.
Kildare lightweight Joyce, who has beaten world champion Domenic Valentino of Italy twice in the last two years, will be favourite to see off Iranian Mohammad Momevad.
O’Neill faces Glodi Eneste in a repeat of the 2009 European Union final in Denmark which saw the Kilkenny middleweight cruise to a 13-2 decision.
Irish team captain Ken Egan, Paddy Barnes and John Joe Nevin, a bronze medal winner at the 2009 AIBA World Championships will be in action Monday.
AIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (in Baku, Azerbaijan) – 64kg (last 64): Ray Moylette (St Anne’s) bt Arturs Ahmetous (Latvia) 16-11. Today (last 64) – 75kg: Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) v Glodi Eneste (Norway); 60kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s, Athy) v Mohammad Momevad (Iran). Sunday (last 32) – 52kg: Michael Conlon (St John Bosco) v Olzhas Sattibayev (Kazakhstan); 64kg: Ray Moylette (St Anne’s) v Manoj Kumar (India); 69kg: Roy Sheehan (St Michael’s, Athy) v Borna Katalinic (Croatia); 81kg: Joe Ward (Moate) v Dilovarshakh Abdurakhmanov (Tajikistan); 91+kg: Con Sheehan (Clonmel) v Faruth Kalonov (Tajikistan). Monday (last 32) – 49kg: Paddy Barnes (Holy Family) v Mark Barriga (Philippines); 56kg: John Joe Nevin (Cavan) v Akhil Kumar (India); 91kg: Ken Egan (Neilstown) v Jose Larduet Gomez (Cuba).
