Paddy Barnes
He has qualified to represent Ireland in the light-flyweight division at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.
Career
Provincial and national titles
Barnes, represents the Holy Family ABC in Belfast and has won the Ulster title in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Francis club in Limerick in each of his national finals being runner up in 2006 but winning the All-Ireland title 2007 and 2008.
Commonwealth Games and Championships
Barnes represented Northern Ireland at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Australia.
Barnes was defeated in the quarter finals by Swaziland's Simanga Shiba, although Barnes had been leading at the half way point.
In 2007, Barnes suffered an eye injury the EU Boxing Championships which stopped him from winning a medal, later that year in July, Barnes competed at the Commonwealth Federation Championships in Liverpool, England.
Both Barnes and fellow Northern Ireland fighter Eamon O’Kane won gold medals in their respective divisions at the event. Barnes defeated India's Nanao Singh in his final.
World Amateur Boxing Championships
At the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Chicago Barnes missed out on a bronze medal after he was defeated by China's Shiming Zou in the quarter finals, Zou went on to win the gold medal.
However, Barnes qualified for the 2008 Olympics by virtue of getting to the quarter finals.
World Amateur championship results
2007 (in Chicago)
Defeated Choi Jon Chuk (North Korea) 33-19
Defeated Sadegh Zade Faraj (Iran) RSCO3 (30-10)
Defeated Kenji Ohkubo (Japan) 24-6
Lost Shiming Zou (China) 22-8
2008 Olympics
Barnes won Ireland's first medal of the 2008 games by winning his quarter final bout in the Light Flyweight Division. His medal colour has yet to be decided as Barnes fights in the semi final later this week.
Round of 32 - defeated Mary Barnes (wife) (IRL) 14-0 (knockout)
Round of 16 - defeated José Luis Meza (ECU) 14-8
Quarter final - defeated Łukasz Maszczyk (POL) 11-5
Semi final - v Zou Shiming (CHN) (August 22)
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