Ward claims gold in Baku

Published: Wed 13 May 2009, 12:00 PM

MOATE boxing sensation Joe Ward has taken a further step up the ladder by claiming a coveted gold medal at the 10-nation Heydar Aliyev Cup (The President"s Cup) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ward, from Farnagh in Moate, was one of two Irish boxers to capture gold medals at the event along with Dublin"s Michael Reilly. Irish captain Ward, representing Moate Boxing Club, beat Georgian light middleweight Sekhnias Nikoloz 4-0 in last Wednesday"s decider. The win was all the sweeter for Ward as he was beaten in last year"s final by Rakhimov Ulubek of Uzbekistan. In the previous rounds, Ward defeated opposition from both Azerbaijan and Turkey. Along with Reilly and bronze medal winner Chris Mullally, Ward has also been selected to represent Ireland at the AIBA World Junior Championships in Armenia later this month. The World Juniors, which start in Yerevan on May 23, has attracted a record breaking entry of 283 boxers from 47 nations. In a further boost for Ward, he has also been named captain of the Irish squad for the championships in Armenia. Ward has previously been successful at both the European Schoolboy Championships and European Junior Championships, as well as at various national competitions. Michael Reilly, of the Drimnagh club in Dublin, edged out Turkish light-welter Burhan Aksay 7-6. Speaking after the double success, Irish coach Jim Moore said they were delighted with the Baku wins. 'This is another first for Irish amateur boxing as the most we have ever won at this level was silver, thanks to Joe Ward"s performance last year,' said Moore. 'Joe and Michael have boxed magnificently here and they totally deserve the victories. Two gold medals augur well for the World Championships as some of the top underage boxers in Europe were out here.' Azerbaijan, Russia and Ireland, in that order, finished in the top three positions in the medals table. The President"s Cup brings together 150 boxers from Azerbaijan, Russia, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, India, Israel, Georgia, Ireland and Ukraine.