LABHAOISE Clarke was left gutted and Irish officials left scratching their heads in amazement after the Carndonagh bantamweight came out of the wrong end of the judges in her European Junior quarter-final in Hungary yesterday.
Irish eyes in Keszethely were reddened after the hand of Belarrusian boxer Ulabzsislave was raised in victory with Carndonagh bantamweight Clarke (pictured above with Carndonagh coaches Danny Clarke and Johnny Mulhern) adjudged to have been beaten.
Ulabzsislave won their 54kgs quarter-final by way of a majority decision.
“Labhaoise was unlucky not to get the decision. I thought she did enough to win,” said Irish coach Liam Brereton.
The seven-time Irish champion from the Carndonagh ABC felt she was ‘robbed’.
“I hate when that happens, but boxing is boxing is boxing and it’s always going to be like that,” she said.
Katelyn Phelan and Saoirse Dignam claimed quarter-final wins today to guarantee Ireland at least to bronze.
Phelan defeated Iria Hjvllcik of Norway while Dignam got the verdict over Ukrainian Yulia Stojko, a World Youth bronze medalist.
Lauryn Sinclair was beaten by England’s Georgia O’Connor at 70kgs.
