Ireland sending eight-woman team to IBA World Championships

The Irish Athletic Boxing Association has announced an eight-strong team to contest the IBA Women's World Championships, which are taking place in Nis, Serbia, from 9 to 16 March.

Ireland boycotted the last edition of the championships over governance concerns but remain affiliated to the International Boxing Association, despite a vote that removed all references to that organisation in the IABA's constitution passing at an EGM last October.

There were doubts over boxing's inclusion at the 2028 LA Olympics after the International Olympic Committee revoked its recognition of the IBA as a governing body and ran the sport's programme at Paris itself, something it indicated it was not prepared to do again.

However, the IOC last week provisionally recognised the rival 78-member World Boxing federation, suggesting the IABA will have to switch affiliation to World Boxing order to send a team to LA.

The team includes double Olympian Michaela Walsh (57kg) and her colleagues from Paris Daina Moorehouse (50kg), Jenny Lehane (54kg), and Grainne Walsh (66kg).

The squad also features 2022 World 70kg champion Lisa O'Rourke, her sister Aoife, a four-time continental champion at 75kg who also fought in Paris, and European Under-23 silver medallist Carleigh Irving (48kg).

Judy Bobbett (81+ kg) becomes one of a handful of athletes to represent her country in different sports at elite international level, having played for Ireland as a second row in the 2020 Six Nations championship, while Lisa O'Rourke has been playing in this year's Lidl Ladies National Football League with her native Roscommon.

There had been speculation that two-time Olympic champion Kellie Harrington might reverse the decision to retire she made in Paris but as she confirmed