Commonwealth Games 2026: Five Team NI boxers win from a podium

Five Northern Ireland boxers are one win away from a Commonwealth Games medal after Wednesday’s draw.

Casey Rock, Michaela Walsh, Jansyn Hill, Garryn McAllister and Willie John McCartan will all compete in the quarter-final stage next Tuesday and Wednesday in Glasgow.

Defending featherweight champion Walsh faces Scotland’s Lara Brown in Wednesday afternoon’s session, as the Holy Family GG boxer looks to return to the podium for a fourth-straight Games after winning silver at the 2014 edition in Glasgow and again four years later on the Gold Coast.

Welterweight Rock takes on rookie Karen Tey of Newey on Tuesday afternoon, while heavyweight McAllister also takes on Ghana’s Jibril Muntari.

In Wednesday evening’s session at the SEC Centre, light-heavyweight Hill faces 2025 world bronze medalist Chantel Reid of England, while super-heavyweight McCartan takes on Ghana’s Daniel Plange.

The boxing tournament starts on Friday and bantamweight Louis Rooney is the first boxer from Northern Ireland to face Lesotho’s Mathelira Seholoholo in the bantamweight first round and if the star ABC man wins, he will meet Australia’s Jay Dixon in the last 16 on Sunday.

Nicole Clyde opens her bantamweight challenge against Ghana’s Nancy Bamfo on Sunday, while welterweight JP Hale is also in action in at least 16 rounds to determine her opponent.

On Monday, 2022 featherweight champion Jude Gallagher makes his bow when he boxes to determine his opponent at lightweight in the last 16 stage, while light-heavyweight Eoghan Quinn is in a similar scenario.

Also in Monday’s last 16 bout, flyweight Caitlin Fryers meets Bangladesh’s Jinnat Ferdous, while light-middleweight John McConnell takes on India’s Sumit Kundu.

All quarterfinals are scheduled for Tuesday, July 28 and Wednesday, July 29 and Thursday, July 31 with a rest day before the semifinals on Friday, July 31 and the final on Saturday, August 1.