Nevin rises to the challenge

IT was going to take a cool and calculated performance to see him join the other four members of the Irish boxing team in the last 16 and John Joe Nevin provided just that to outpoint the experienced Algerian Abdelhalim Ourradi 9-4 yesterday.

The fact that the pair had met before — the Algerian winning on a countback — meant it was going to be a tactical affair, but the 19-year-old Mullingar bantamweight, an Irish Examiner Junior Sports Star award winner this year, settled into it with a maturity way beyond his years.

He got through with a couple of accurate left jabs in the first round but none were registered and it was early in the second round before he scored his first points from a three-punch combination and a big right hand to the head. Another left jab left him leading 3-0 at the end of the second. Then, as the Algerian fought back for two points, Nevin got a public warning for holding and lost two to trail 4-3 before Ourradi was given a public warning for using his head and Nevin led 6-4 going into the final round.