Belfast boxer Michaela Walsh into last 16 at European Games after convincing victory over Greek opponent

Tokyo Olympian Walsh earned the win for Team Ireland after her Greek opponent took the opening round, with the experienced Northern Ireland boxer fighting back to win convincingly 5-0 in the end at the Nowy Targ Arena.

“It was a very very tough opening fight, I came back to the corner and I was down, but I just stuck to the plan,” said Walsh.

"I had a slow start, but came into it. Knowing I was down I had to up it a bit, because obviously, I wanted to come out the winner. I just listened to the corner, everything they told me to do, I done.

"Then I had a fantastic second and third round, and thank God I am standing here as the winner.

“I was up going into the final round, but it was still level on a few cards, and she had a chance of coming back, but he [Zauri – coach] just said, listen, she’s going to put a big push on. I was trying to meet her with a backhand as she came in,” Walsh added.

"She was running in recklessly, I was trying to side step and go again. It was very hard to do that because she was such a tough and experience opponent. Thankfully, today was my day.”

Walsh said she felt relieved to overcome the first hurdle, admitting that the first fight in any tournament ‘is almost the hardest’.

“Every tournament you go to, the first fight is almost the hardest, you are waiting on your draw, you’re finished your training camp and doing very little training because it is a taper and peaking at the right time, and you are a bit anxious waiting,” she said.

"But to finally get out and get that first one out of the way. It feels brilliant, I actually wish I was on again tomorrow because I feel buzzing and ready to go again, but for today, I’m just going to enjoy the victory and go and shout my teammates on for later on.”

The Games are a key milestone on the path to Paris 2024 with Olympic qualification spots on offer in all of the weight classes.