THE AIBA WOMEN’S World Boxing Championships glove off in Astana, Kazakhstan next Thursday and the eyes of Donegal boxing will upon the canvas of the Barys Arena Sports Palace.
Twin Towns BC’s Donna Barr will be aiming for glory at 48kgs, with Finn Valley’s former nine-time Irish champion Austeja Auciute gunning for a title at 64kgs.
Barr flies out to Astana tomorrow with an eight-strong Irish team that includes Olympic hopefuls Katie Taylor at 60kgs, Ceire Smith at 51kgs and Christina Desmond at 75kgs.
On Monday, Auciute, back boxing in her homeland in Lithuania, flies out from Vilnius to Astana.
Strabane native Barr was beaten by Edenderry’s Lauren Hogan in the light-flyweight final at the Irish Elite Senior Championships in Dublin.
However, Barr has been selected for the World Championships and returned at the weekend from a training camp at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield last week.
The training camp included boxers from Great Britain, France, Germany and the Czech Republic.
[adrotate group=”38″]Barr has had some injury trouble lately, but did get an exhibition bout under her belt when Donegal took on a selection from the Boston Boxing Academy at the Clanree Hotel last moth.
Having done three rounds that night with Amanda Pavone, Barr sparred the American the following day.
“I’m so excited to be going to the World Championships,” Barr told Donegal Sport Hub.
“This is why I’ve trained so hard. I’ve always wanted to get to the top.
[adrotate group=”58″]“I haven’t stopped training since last July, bar two weeks after the Irish Seniors, and I was always ticking over just in case the ‘what if’ happened – and the ‘what if’ did happen!”
Barr, Taylor, Smith and Desmond are joined by Dervla Duffy, Moira McElligot, Kelly Harrington and Grainne Walsh in an Irish team led by coaches Eddie Bolger and Pat McDonagh, accompanied by the IABA Technical and Tactical Coach Zaur Antia.
Boxing in Astana gets underway next Thursday and a familiar name will be on the scales.
Auciute won nine Irish titles with Finn Valley ABC. Since Christmas, she’s been preparing for these Championships in Silute, Lithuania, under the direction of coach Vincas Murauskas.
In January, Auciute won the Lithuanian Senior Championship title and also won a regional title as part of her preparation.
In 2011, Auciute won a bronze medal at the inaugural Women’s World Youth and Junior Championships in Turkey.
“I want to make up for some lost time next week and fight for my dreams,” said Auciute. “I am feeling 100 per cent. I can’t wait.”
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