Double disappointment for Irish boxers

There was double disappointment for Irish boxers in the early hours of this morning after Darren Sutherland and John Sweeney bowed out of the 2007 AIBA World Championships and Olympic qualifiers at the last 16 stage at the University of Chicago in Illinois.

Middleweight Sutherland, who was boxing for a place at next years Olympics, was beaten 20-13 by Alfonso Blanco from Venezuela.

Sweeney suffered a 28-5 reversal at the hands of Russian heavyweight Rakhim Chakhkiev.

Blanco's fast punching style, particularly with his right, was enough to take the first three rounds (10-4,15-6,18-10) before he was declared a winner by a seven point margin.

Sweeney was always going to be facing a tough task against the highly rated Chakhkiev, who was 7-1 ahead at the end of the first before building on his lead to march into the quarter finals.

However, despite the loss it was a brave performance from the Donegal man who was competing in only his 10th international against an opponent who is favourite to go all the way in the 91Kg division.

Irish captain Ken Egan, Eric Donovan and Paddy Barnes will all be in the ring tonight within one fight of the quarter finals and qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Light heavyweight Egan meets Croatian Marijo Sivolija, a silver medallist from the 2005 World Championships in Mianyang City China.

Egan beat Sivolija at the EU Championships in Sardinia over two years ago and both men looked destined to meet at the EU Championships at the National Stadium in Dublin last June but the Croatian pulled out after picking up a facial injury.

Donovan, meanwhile, renews acquaintances with Italian Dominico Valentino.

The two went head-to-head at the EU Championships at the National Stadium and it was the Italian that emerged victorious from the lightweight contest after a third round stoppage.

Light flyweight Paddy Barnes, who has recorded two convincing wins so far, is in against Kenji Ohkubo, an orthodox puncher from Japan.