First Irish medal secured at European Games

A day of mixed emotions for Ireland at the European Games in Baku with the first Irish medal of the Games secured, but with two others falling by the wayside.

St Pauls light-flyweight Brendan Irvine claimed a dramatic split-decision points victory over top seed and home Azerbaijan star Salman Aliadza, where one more point awarded against Irvine by the two judges who awarded him the win would have seen defeat for Belfast boxer instead.

Aliadza had won the first round convincingly, awarded the round by all three judges. From there however, Irvine magnificently got back into the fight, tying up two of the scorecards by the end of the second and penultimate round, convincing those two judges to award him the third also – and to clinch victory.

Irvine took the victory 29-28 29-28 28-29, and now fights for a place in the final on Wednesday.

However, both Cavan flyweight Ceire Smith and Clonmel super-heavyweight Dean Gardiner were both beaten in fights where a victory would have also secured medals.

Smith was beaten by Russia's Saiana Sagateva in a split decision, while a unanimous points decision did for Gardiner, where all three judges awarded a 29-28 (two rounds to one) victory to Tony Yoka of France in their quarter-final.

Scott Evans got his badminton campaign off to a flyer after dispatching Georgios Charalambidis of Greece 21-7 21-9 in his opening group game.

Evans is top seed and favourite for gold.

Chloe Magee lost to Estonia’s Kati Tolmoff 21-18 21-17 in her opening match in Group F, while in women’s doubles, Sara Boyle and Rachel Darragh were beaten in their opening match 21-15 21-15 by Finnish pair Mathilda Lindstrom and Jenny Nystrom.

The Magee brothers Sam and Josh were beaten by Danish duo Mathias Boe and Carsten Mogensen 21-17 21-16 in the men’s doubles, but came close to pulling off a shock win.

Chloe and Sam would combine for a late-night mixed doubles win over Czech combination of Jakub Bitman and Alzbeta Basova by two sets to one.