Video flashback: When Jason Quigley won European gold in Minsk

IN JUNE 2013, Jason Quigley defeated Bogdan Juratoni of Romania to win gold in the middleweight division at the European Amateur Boxing Championships in Belarus.

This evening, Donegal County Council is according the 24-year-old Ballybofey man with a Civic Reception at the County House in Lifford in honour of his achievements.

Quigley had just won his first Irish senior title earlier in 2013, when he defeated Roy Sheahan in the final, while he went on to reach the final of the World Championships, claiming a silver following a defeat to Zhanibek Alimkhanuly in Almaty.

Quigley is receiving the Civic Reception to recognise that memorable week in Minsk when he took European gold.

Juratoni was a World bronze medalist at the time, but Quigley announced his arrival on the big stage.

The determined Quigley took the first round 30-27, but visibly tired as the fight went on.

From the Italian, Honduras and Azerbaijan judges, Quigley took a split decision win – 30-27, 28-29, 29-28 – to win gold.

https://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=OIFf0v-HtIQ

His path to the final had been littered with top-class opponents and he had the number 4, 1 and 2 seeds – in that order – to content with.

He overcame Austrian Arbi Charkaev in the preliminary bout before defeating Germany’s Stefan Haertel in the quarter-final and it was a semi-final win over then world number 1 Yevhen Khytrov that really signalled his coming.

Quigley has since turned professional and is 9-0 since moving to join Golden Boy Promotions in Los Angeles in April 2014.