Five Northern Ireland boxers – Kaci Rock, Michaela Walsh, Jansseen Hill, Garyn McAllister and Willie John McCartan – have been drawn straight into the quarter-final stage of the Commonwealth Games boxing tournament in Glasgow, meaning each is just one win away from a medal. The draw, confirmed on Wednesday, sets up a strong opportunity for Team NI, with defending champion Walsh notably bidding to reach the podium for a fourth consecutive Games.

Walsh, the Holy Family GG featherweight who won silver in 2014 and 2018, faces Scotland's Lara Brown on Wednesday 29 July, while welterweight Rock meets Niue's Karen Te Ruki Pasene and heavyweight McAllister takes on Ghana's Jibril Muntari, both on Tuesday 28 July. In the evening session at the SEC Centre, light-heavyweight Hill faces England's Chantelle Reid, a 2025 World bronze medallist, and super-heavyweight McCartan meets Ghana's Daniel Plange. Several other NI boxers, including 2022 champion Jude Gallagher, begin their campaigns earlier in the last-32 and last-16 rounds from Friday 24 July, with all quarter-finals completed by Wednesday 29 July ahead of semi-finals on 31 July and finals on 1 August.