Moate BC light-heavyweight Joe Ward enjoyed a terrific 2017, but the southpaw wants more as he targets World Championship gold in Russia next year.
Ireland’s top boxers will be celebrated at the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA) Awards night on Saturday night at the Louis Fitzgerald Hotel in Dublin and Ward is expected to be recognised for his feats.
Twenty-nine medals were claimed in World and European Elite, Youth and Junior competition in 2017 and Ireland was never outside the top ten in the medals table in eight of those tournaments.
Ward, who has signed from the British Lionhearts for this season’s World Series of Boxing, led the way after securing European Elite gold and World Elite silver. Although he was satisfied with that return, the desire to go one better in the 2019 Worlds, in Russia, still burns.
"I was pleased with my performances last year," he said.
"Obviously, I would like to go one better at the World Championships, but I’m improving all the time and that will be my target at the Worlds next year," added the Westmeath man, who was beaten by Cuba’s Olympic champion Julio La Cruz in the 2015 and 2017 World finals.
La Cruz moved up from light-heavy to heavy for December’s Cuban Championships and claimed his first 91kg national title in Sancti Spiritus.
Belfast’s Michaela Walsh, who was edged out on a split decision by two-time Olympic champion Nicola Adams in the 2014 Commonwealth final, won European Union Elite gold in 2017.
The IABA will honour their domestic boxes, clubs, coaches, administrators and fighters from the past on Saturday evening ahead of the start of the National Elite Championships on Friday week at Dublin’s National Stadium.
