Daingean boxer to compete at Strandja memorial tournament

Offaly boxer and Defence Forces member Brian Kennedy has been named as part of an 18-strong team to contest the 76th Strandja Memorial tournament, taking place in Sofia, Bulgaria, from February 22 to March 3.

The son of John and Anna Kennedy from Main Street, Daingean, Kennedy boxes out of the St Brigid's Boxing Club in Edenderry and was selected for the Irish team in the 86kg category.

This prestigious event will feature Olympic, World and European champions, with approximately 300 boxers from almost 30 countries participating.

“Performances are key. I am looking for the best performances from each boxer, regardless of the outcome of the bout," National High Performance Head Coach, Zauri Antia, said.

"This is a very exciting opportunity for this team – Strandja is very high standard tournament, the oldest international amateur boxing competition in Europe.

“It is a huge honour to represent IABA, internationally and I congratulate every member of the team on their selection, their clubs, club coaches and families."

Team Ireland has won 12 medals at the tournament, half of them gold, since 2020.