Irish boxers Paddy Barnes and David Oliver Joyce are due in the ring in pursuit of London 2012 places at the AIBA Olympic qualifier event in Turkey later today.
The event at Hayri Gür Spor Salonu in Trabzon is the final qualifier for the London games for male boxers in Europe.
Barnes, a bronze medallist in Beijing in 2008, will take on Istan Ungvari of Hungary at light-flyweight (49kg) while Joyce is due to box Arthur Bril of Germany at featherweight (60kg).
Joyce’s bout is a repeat of the recent Chemistry Cup quarter-final which he won on a countback following a 16-16 tie in Germany.
Both of those last 16-stage bouts are scheduled to take place in the evening.
There was controversy at the event yesterday when Irish light-heavyweight Joe Ward was beaten by home boxer Bahran Muzaffer and had his appeal rejected by the AIBA.
Ward, the current European champion, was adjudged to have lost the last-16 contest 18-15. The Irish Amateur Boxing Association lodged an immediate appeal but that was rejected on the basis that no rules had been broken.
In other bouts, welterweight Adam Nolan and heavyweight Tommy McCarthy advanced to the quarter-finals but Ross Hickey and Con Sheahan were beaten and bow out.
Nolan must reach the final to qualify for the Olympics, but McCarthy must win gold here to do so.
Ireland sent seven boxers to Turkey after they won titles in their weight classes at the National Elite Championships.
Michael Conlan, John Joe Nevin and Darren O’Neill have already secured their places at the Olympics.
