Medal victors Egan, Sutherland and Sheahan climb the world rankings

IRELAND’S medal winners at last months European Union Boxing Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin have all moved up places in the world rankings just released for June.

Irish captain Ken Egan, Darren Sutherland, Roy Sheahan won gold at the EU Championships and Carl Frampton and Cathal McMonagle claimed silver to help Ireland finish as the top amateur boxing nation in the EU.

Sutherland, from the St Saviours club in Dublin, is the highest mover in the world rankings at number seven, while Egan (Neilstown Dublin) is at number eight.

Stylish St Michael’s Athy welterweight Sheahan, who was boxing for the first time competitively at the Stadium last month after a four month injury lay off, is at number 17 in one of the most competitive weight Divisions in world amateur boxing.

Holy Trinity Belfast super heavyweight McMonagle is ranked in 11th spot. McMonagle was beaten in his EU final at the Stadium by Italian Roberto Cammerelle who is ranked number one in the world for June.

Midlands White City Belfast featherweight Frampton, is at number 20 and John Joe Joyce also comes in at 20 in the light weight section. World and back-to-back lightweight women’s champion Katie Taylor is ranked number one in the world and number one in the pound-for-pound section in the world for the sixth month running.

The Irish senior squad finished up their training camp and tournament in the Ukraine last weekend and Irish boxing chiefs will announce their squad for the World Championships in Chicago in the coming weeks.

EU champs Darren Sutherland and Roy Sheahan, Conor Ahern and Darren O’Neill won one silver and three bronze medals in the Ukraine with Sutherland claiming silver.

According to IABA High Performance Director Gary Keegan, the Ukrainian trip played a key part in their preparations for next Octobers World Championships.

The World Championships have a double significance as they will also act as a qualifier for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

Keegan said: “We travelled here to expose the squad to tough conditions and world class opposition and we’ve certainly got that as it is was 29 degrees in the Stadium and 35 degrees under the ring lights.

“We are very pleased with the squad’s performance in the Ukraine as they were boxing against world class opposition.”