Waterford boxer earns Ireland place for major European boxing test this month

A Waterford boxer has been named in a stacked Team Ireland squad for one of the toughest tournaments on the international calendar.

Saviours Crystal BC's Kelyn Cassidy has been selected as part of a 20-strong Irish team to compete at the Strandja Memorial Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria, which gets underway on February 23.

Often described as Europe's oldest multi-nations boxing tournament, Strandja regularly attracts elite teams from across five continents, including powerhouse nations such as Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and China.

This year's tournament also comes just six weeks before the first of three World Boxing Cups in April.

Cassidy is the only boxer selected from Waterford, with Team Ireland drawing athletes from clubs across nine counties in total.

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Interim High Performance Head Coach Damian Kennedy said the tournament will provide a major test for the squad, describing Strandja as "one of the most demanding competitions our boxers will face outside of major championships".

He added: "This team has trained exceptionally well, showing readiness, discipline, and the ability to perform under pressure. We want them to use this tournament to measure themselves against the very best in the world."

High Performance Director Jon Mackey said: "Our team are looking exceptionally sharp and that's a credit to Damian Kennedy and the coaching team. This tournament is part of the second stage of our selection process which began with the 2026 Elite Championships just last month.

"Team Ireland includes both Elite champions and silver medalists in a team that blends proven championship experience with emerging talent."

Team Ireland features Olympians and World and European medallists, with the competition running from February 23 to March 1 in Bulgaria.