Smith to face Colombian in World Championships opener

Paul Fitzpatrick

Cavan boxer Ceire Smith will face Colombia's Ingrit Valencia in her first fight at the World Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan tomorrow, following this morning's draw.

As expected, the 51kg division – an Olympic weight – has attracted a huge field, with 49 boxers taking their chance in an event which doubles as the final qualifier for Rio.

The Colombian beat USA star Virginia Fox in the Pan-Am Games and has already secured her place at the Olympics. However, she lost the final of the Pan-Ams to Canadian Mandy Bujold, a friend and sparring partner of Smith's whom the Ballyhaise southpaw has held her own against in the past.

Should Ceire win, she will likely face the Thai Peamwilai Laopeam on Friday and, if the seeds hold up and the Cavan woman wins two more rounds, she would face Bujold in the quarter-final.

Smith will need to reach at least the last four to secure qualification.

Italian Marzia Davide is the top seed, with GB's Nicola Adams, the Olympic champion who beat the Italian to qualify, seeded fifth.

Russian powerhouse Elena Paveleva is in at two with China's four-time workd champion Ren Cancan also in the bottom half of the draw.

“Most of the top seeds are all Europeans,” stated Smith's coach, Brian McKeown.

“Overall it's a tough draw but there are no easy draws. Ceire is in the best form I've ever seen her, mentally and physically she is in a great place.

“What can you say, you're going to have to beat them all anyway but you can only take one fight at a time.”

It is understood that Bujold beat the Colombian by counter-punching, which would suit Smith's style. Valencia is described as “small, technically good and quite sharp” but hopes are high that Smith's height and southpaw stance will give her an excellent chance.

Also in the field, incidentally, is Tetyana Kob, who beat Ceire on a countback recently. Smith was awarded all four rounds by the Cuban judge on that occasion but the Syrian and Spanish judges called it even for a majority draw.

In the end, Kob's aggression swung it her way but Smith insisted in The Anglo-Celt this week that she will not adjust her style to catch the eye of the notoriously fickle officials.

“I'll adapt my tactics to suit whatever opponent I have but I won't be changing my style,” she said.

View the draws here.