IT was going to take a cool and calculated performance to see him join the other four members of the Irish boxing team in the last 16 and John Joe Nevin provided just that to outpoint the experienced Algerian Abdelhalim Ourradi 9-4 yesterday.

Ireland's John Joe Nevin has beaten African champion, Abdelhalim Ourradi of Algeria, in his heat of the Bantamweight 54kg competition.

Several Irish athletes are in action on day four of the Beijing Olympics today.

Bantamweight John Joe Nevin will seek to become the fifth Irish boxer to make it to the last sixteen at the Beijing Olympics when he meets Algeria's Abdelhalim Ourradi in a preliminary round bout at the Workers Indoor Gymnasium in the Chinese capital tomorrow.

Light welterweight John Joe Joyce produced arguably his best ever performance to march into the last 16 of the Olympic Games following a 9-5 victory over Gyula Kate of Hungary this morning.