Offaly boxer bows out of World Championships with head held high and a bronze medal

OFFALY boxer Grainne Walsh's dream World Championships came to an end on Friday evening when Kazakhstan's Aida Abiikeya proved too strong for her in a semi-final showdown at Liverpool.

With a bronze medal in the bag, Walsh was in bonus territory but will still be bitterly disappointed at not making the final, upgrading her medal to silver and boxing for the gold over the weekend.

The Tullamore woman, however, will be delighted with herself when the initial pain of defeat ebbs away and she reflects on the best tournament of her life, her greatest achievement in a long boxing career.

Having stormed to the semi-final in the 65kg class, Walsh came up against a terrifically strong opponent who got a 5-0 decision: 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 30-27. A previous world gold medalist and the 2024 Asian champion, Abiikeya was on the top of her game as Walsh gave it her best shot.

Tullamore fighter Walsh overcame terrific odds to beat China's Yang Lu in a thrilling quarter-final on Wednesday and to guarantee a bronze medal.

Now competing for St Mary's Boxing.Club in Tallaght, Walsh qualified for the quarter-finals with 5-0 wins over Spain’s Mariana Soto Torres Jessica Triebelova of Slovakia.

Her win on Wednesday evening was her biggest in the tournament. She overcame an Olympic silver medallist in Lu, banishing her own frustration at not making progress at the Paris games and also had to battle a point deduction in the second round.

It was as tense as it comes as the judges gave Walsh a 3-2 win: 28: 28: 29: 27, 28: 28, 28: 28, 29: 27.

A former Irish underage soccer international and living in Tullamore, Walsh is the daughter of a Killeigh native and well known local business man, Gerry Walsh and a Kilcavan woman and journalist, Geraldine Grennan.

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She was one of two Offaly boxers in the World Championships. Daingean man Brian Kennedy made his exit in his 85kg last sixteen bout with Ukraine's Danylo Zhasan on Tuesday evening.

Boxing for St Brigid's Boxing Club in Edenderry, Kennedy was not helped by a second round point deduction as he lost a 5-0 decision: 30: 26, 30: 26, 30:25, 30: 26, 30: 26.