John Donoghue wins gold at World Boxing Under-19 Championships

Mullingar’s John Donoghue won gold in the 70kg final at the World Boxing Under-19 Championships in Budva, Montenegro with a comeback victory over Kazakhstan’s Bibarys Ashirbay.

Donoghue defeated Bibarys Ashirbay of Kazakhstan in a high level contest between the reigning European and Asian under-19 champions.

Donoghue, the reigning under-19 European champion, was on the front foot straight away, pressuring the under-19 Asian champion Ashirbay and landing a number of solid straight right hands. However, he was unfortunate to lose out 4-1 on the scorecards in the first round.

In the second, the Olympic BC fighter further committed to that aggressive style, landing a couple of body shots to go with continued straight rights, and the scores were reversed at the end of the session, leaving the bout even ahead of the final round.

Donoghue punished some early wild swings from Ashirbay, as the 18-year-old opened up with combinations for the first time in the fight and took full control to the final bell.

Donoghue’s punches seemed to be taking a toll on the increasingly shelled-up Ashirbay, and the Irish boxer was able to take his foot off the gas with 30 seconds remaining, certain he had done enough to clinch the round and with it, the fight.

All five judges scored the final round in Donoghue’s favour, earning him gold by unanimous decision.

In the 60kg final, Wexford’s Kalib Walshe took silver, brining Ireland’s total tally to six, adding to the four bronze medals secured over the weekend by Louise Byrne, Kayseigh Joyce, Jason Whelan, and Jason Donoghue.

The Wexford CBS fighter lost out to Argentina’s Edgardo Nicolas Peralta by unanimous decision.

Walshe started the first round well, fighting on the front foot and firing combinations, but he took a standing count after his head was knocked back by a beautifully timed hook from the Argentinian.

That left him behind on all the cards, and although the second round was a closer affair, all five judges preferred the outboxing and flashy punches of Peralta to Walshe’s high-volume approach.

The 17-year-old couldn’t pin down his fleet-footed southpaw opponent in the final round, leaving him with a world silver medal to follow the European bronze he won earlier this year.

Ireland’s six medals was the fourth largest haul of the 69 nations competing in Budva.