Irish and Ukrainian boxers in Roscommon training camp as part of Olympic preparations

Elite boxers from Team Ireland and Team Ukraine have been participating in a joint training camp in county Roscommon this week.

The training is taking place at Castlerea Boxing Club, which will also host an international tournament between the two nations starting at 7pm this Friday night (April 5).

The camp was organised in preparation for the Paris Olympics, the final qualification tournament for the Olympics which takes place in Thailand in late May, and the European Championships which are happening in Belgrade later this month.

Roscommon sisters Aoife and Lisa O'Rourke are on home terrain at the training camp, and among those also participating in it is Tullamore's Gráinne Walsh, who is hoping to qualify for the Olympics at the tournament in Thailand.

"Ukraine has brought a full squad of Olympic weight boxers to contest against Ireland in a round robin on April 5," said the Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA).

"These will follow a series of collective squad training sessions with Ireland, and test matches from April 2 to 4. The training camp, and the International, is kindly hosted by Castlerea Boxing Club and Connacht Provincial Council.

"Ukraine is returning to Ireland after taking part a High Performance Super Camp in Sport Institute Ireland, the home of the High Performance Unit, in September," it added.

The Olympic Games in Paris will get underway on July 26.