Barnes eyes medal after solid start

PADDY BARNES joins Kenneth Egan in tomorrow night’s quarter finals — just one fight away from an Olympic medal — following his impressive 14-8 victory over Jose Luis Meza (Ecuador) on Saturday.

The Belfast light-fly was the first Irish boxer to qualify for the Olympic Games and turned out to be last one into the ring having — along with Darren Sutherland — got a bye into the second round of the tournament.

But the wait did not affect him either and he was at his brilliant best against Meza, a southpaw, who was a taller opponent with a longer reach.

Barnes said: “It is my first fight and my first win at the Olympics. The main thing was getting here and now I have won my first fight. I was a bit sloppy at times but this was my first fight and it has been a long week but, when I got going, I got through with some good shots and when I started hurting him he did not want to know.

“I can box and I can fight but I prefer to fight. If I have to box I am more than capable of doing that.

“Coming out here I was hoping for a bye but when I got it I could hardly sleep all that week because I was so nervous. I have the fight over and done with now and I’m just glad.

“I am looking forward to the quarter finals now. I meet a Pole (Lukasz Maszczk). He beat me in my very first international and I am looking forward to putting one over on him.”