Lee back in action against German

ANDY LEE (St Francis) will be back in action at the National Stadium tomorrow night when the AIBA stage an action-packed international programme involving Germany at boys and junior level and Belgium at senior level, with 13 bouts in all down for decision.

Andy Lee will be making is first big public appearance since winning a silver medal at the world junior

championships in Cuba last year.

The Limerick light middleweight, who represented Ireland at the European championships in Bosnia the previous year, turned in some spectacular performances en route to the final and he also won a silver medal at the prestigious Junior Italia to crown a memorable season.

On Friday night, he will box Jamil Shanab from Germany in what could be the top contest of the night.

The five juniors in action are all class acts in their own right.

Bantamweight Dean Murphy also boxed in the world championships and junior championships at flyweight and, after winning boys and youths’ titles as well as the junior championship, he got the new season off to the perfect start by winning an intermediate title last month. Featherweight Philip Roche was a bronze medallist at

Junior Italia 2002, while middleweight, Darren O’Neill, was a gold medal at the Four Nations tournament in Glasgow last year.

Aodh Carlyle, who won a senior title at lightweight in 1999 will box at light welter against Belgium’s Michael Recloux in the opening senior contest. He is one of the most experienced internationals, having boxed at the world senior championships in Houston, Texas, in 1999 as well.

Welterweight Fergus Turner was national junior lightweight champion in 1999, while Darren Sutherland, the middleweight representative, was a national under-21 and intermediate champion two years ago.

The bill for tomorrow night is: Boys: 48 kg, Eric Wansboro (Crumlin) v Dimitri Sovokin (Germany); 51 kg, Paul Duncliffe (Fr. Horgan’s, Cork) v Dominique Britsch (Germany); 57 kg, Ronan Traynor (Sacred Heart Newry) v Alexander Miller (Germany); 75 kg, James Monaghan (Geesala) v Gottlieb Weiss (Germany).

Juniors: 54 kg, Dean Murphy (St. Saviours) v Benjamin Fuchs (Germany); 57 kg, Philip Roche (Neilstown) v David Siegmann (Germany); 63.5 kg, Terry O’Neill (Mount Tallant) v Viktor Wolf (Germany); 71 kg, Andy Lee (St. Francis) v Jamil Shanab (Germany); 78 kg, Darren O’Neill (Paulstown) v Benjamin Schmidt (Germany).

Seniors: 63.5 kg, Aodh Carlyle (Golden Cobra) v Micheal Recloux (Belgium); 67 kg, Fergus Turner (St. Ibars) v Hubert Firens (Belgium); 71 kg, Thomas Blaney (Westside) v Bjorn Balcaen (Belgium); 75 kg, Darren Sutherland (St. Saviours) v Michael Henrotin (Belgium).