Walsh edges closer to Paris Games with Bangkok win

Aidan Walsh took one step closer to Olympic qualification as he defeated Algeria’s Youcef Islam Yaiche in Bangkok on Tuesday.

The victory, a 4:1 decision against the Algerian, sends Walsh through to the last 16 of the final Olympic qualifier, which is taking place in Thailand this week.

The Tokyo Games bronze medallist needs a quarter-final victory in the 71kg division to secure a ticket to the Paris Games this summer, or if he loses in the last eight, Walsh would need to win the box-off between the four defeated fighters for the remaining place.

The Belfast fighter, sister of fellow Olympian Michaela, who has already qualified for Paris, will return to the ring on Wednesday where he will could face 2021 world champion Yurii Zakharieiev from Ukraine for a place in the quarter-finals.

Jennifer Lehane will box in the later session as she looks to make it through to Paris in the bantamweight (54kg) division. Lehane takes on Puerto Rico’s Angelyris Lopez in her opening bout and needs to win three fights to reach the Paris Games.