Reigning champion Michaela Walsh will have the chance to round off her Commonwealth Games career with a title defence, after being named as part of Northern Ireland’s 12-strong Glasgow 2026 boxing team.
The 32-year-old made history at Glasgow 2014 when she beat Mauritian Thessa Dumas in the opening round of the Flyweight division, in what was the first-ever women’s boxing contest to take place at a Commonwealth Games.
She would go on to claim silver in Scotland, before securing a further second-place finish, in the Featherweight class, at Gold Coast 2018. Four years ago Walsh, along with her brother Aiden in the Men’s Light Middleweight, claimed gold at Birmingham 2022.
“The Commonwealth Games means a lot to me and it’s been a massive part of my career,” said Walsh, who is delighted to see there will be the same number of medal events for female and male boxers at Glasgow 2026.
“This sport has transformed so much and if you’d told to me 10-15 years ago that there would be an equal number (of medals) I’d have said ‘there’s not a hope in hell’ it would happen, so it really shows how much women’s boxing has grown.
“It will always be difficult to top winning gold (at Birmingham 2022) with my brother as well, but I’m excited and as I’m getting older now, I probably don’t have too long left in my amateur career, so it would be great to have had my first Games in Glasgow and maybe my last too.”
While Aiden Walsh has retired from the sport, Michaela Walsh will not be the only returning champion who lines up for Northern Ireland this summer, with the men’s ranks boosted by the inclusion of Jude Gallagher.
The Paris 2024 Olympic boxer won the Men’s Featherweight division at Birmingham 2022.
The squad will also feature fellow Commonwealth Games boxers JP Hale and Nicole Clyde, with the remaining eight all set to make debuts at Glasgow 2026.
Coach Liam Corr is confident the 12-strong line-up can emulate the team from Birmingham 2022, who topped the overall boxing standings – with seven medals, five of which were gold – and secure further honours.
“Anything’s possible when you’ve got talent and the team’s fully talented and fully ready to go,” said Corr.
“It is a strong team going to Glasgow. It’s well decorated too with some Olympians on it, previous games medallists, European medallists, World medallists and then you have some who are just on the international scene, but they’re here for a reason.”
The Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games will take place between 23 July and 2 August, with the boxing programme running from 24 July until 1 August. For your chance to claim tickets to watch some of the best athletes on the planet, CLICK HERE.
