Brilliant Barnes sparks gold medal haul for Irish boxers

OLYMPIC bronze medallist, Paddy Barnes, sparked off a gold rush when he claimed the light flyweight title at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi on a day when Northern Ireland won a record three gold and two silver medals.

Welterweight Paddy Gallagher and experienced middleweight, Eamonn O’Kane, added the other two gold medals while two of the up and coming stars, light heavyweight, Tommy McCarthy, and heavyweight, Steven Ward, settled for silver on another amazing day for Irish boxing.

Barnes, the European gold medallist was at his brilliant best once again against the defending champion, Jafet Uutoni (Namibia). He picked off early scores from combinations and won the first round 3-1.

But the Namibian came back at him in the second with some accurate shots to win the round 3-2.

Barnes responded and came out with all guns blazing and won on a decisive and deserving score of 3-0 for an 8-4 victory.

“I knew all along that Paddy Barnes would go to Delhi and win the Gold medal. He is a star, a wonderful young man with a brilliant personality. He is a role model and proof that with dedication anything can be achieved,” said his coach Gerry Storey.

Gallagher, another exciting Irish prospect, won the first round 4-1 against Callum Smith but the English welterweight came thundering back to win the second 4-1 and tie the contest.

But Gallagher put that round behind him to score with some crisp, clean and accurate punches and he won the third by a convincing margin of 6-1 and the contest by a comfortable margin of 11-6.

Four years ago, middleweight, Eamonn O’Kane left Melbourne disappointed and contemplated retirement. But the Dungiven man was persuaded by family and friends to continue.

He came back to win a Commonwealth championship gold medal in Liverpool (2007) and returned there the following year to win a bronze medal at the European championships.

Yesterday, he was facing the pin-up boy of English amateur boxing, Anthony Ogogo, who had beaten the hot favourite for the middleweight gold medal in the semi-finals.

Successive right hands earned O’Kane two quick points and he won the opening round 2-1.

The big overhand right again got him two points early in the second and now he was beating his man to the punch with left hooks to the head and body.

He won the round 5-0 and, after Ogogo pulled back three points early in the third, O’Kane regained control to win the round 9-3 and the contest 16-4.

Tommy McCarthy from the Oliver Plunkett’s club in Belfast will return home with a silver medal after losing his light middleweight final to Callum Johnson of Scotland on a score of 8-1.

Heavyweight Steven Ward also had to settle for silver after he was stopped in the first round of his final. Englishman, Simon Vallily, pounded the young Belfast man with big left hooks to the head and body early in the first round and then sent him to the canvas with a right cross to the head before the ref stopped it.