Home are the heroes

Ireland’s Elite boxers, for the third time in the last three years, finished in second spot in rankings table behind powerhouses Russia at the European Championships.

At the 2010 and 2011 Europeans in Russia and Turkey, Ireland claimed second berth behind the table-topping eastern Europeans at the Ice Palace in Moscow and in Ankara. And on Saturday, Ireland once again finished behind the Russians at the Palace of Sports in Minsk, Belarus.

Russia, Ireland, Ukraine, Azerbaijan and Belarus, in that order, made up the top five. Ireland’s 10-man squad picked up 2.4 points per boxer — and two gold and silver medals.