Medal for John Donoghue in Armenia as IABA criticises Department of Sport on boycott issue

John Donoghue has secured at least a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships after winning his quarter-final bout against Russia's Zakhar Bespalov, while the IABA has criticised the Department of Sport for a "lack of communication" around its former boycott of Russia and Belarus.

The 15-year-old from Mullingar had looked set to miss out on the chance to fight for an under-17 European medal in Yerevan due to the Irish Athletic Boxing Association's policy that boxers would withdraw if pitted against opponents from those two countries, relating to the invasion of Ukraine.

However, yesterday the IABA dramatically dropped the boycott - introduced due to Ireland signing a collective ministerial statement against athletes from Russia or Belarus competing under their national flags - and signalled that Donoghue could compete today.

The Olympic Boxing Club fighter certainly didn't let the attention get to him as he dominated Bespalov, the referee calling a halt to the 63kg contest in the first round.

Kerry's Mary McDonagh also secured at least bronze following a 5-0 quarter-final win over Akbota Essimekova of Kazakhstan in the 70kg category while Christian Doyle was beaten 4-1 by Poland's Oskar Grodzicki in the 52kg quarters.

Alex Noonan Carmody (70kg), Grace Conway Dowling (52kg) and Patrick Kelly will all fight for medals in the evening session, which gets under way at 1.30pm Irish time.