AIBA World Youth champion Joe Ward has acknowledged that February will be a key month in his remarkable young career.

 

The Moate BC (Co Westmeath) light-heavyweight will be aiming to claim his second title in a row at the Open Youths Championships, the semi-finals and finals of which will be decided at the National Stadium in Dublin this Friday and Saturday.

 

And then the 17-year-old, who won an AIBA World Junior title in Armenia in 2009, will turn his focus to the Elite National Senior Championships which glove off at IABA headquarters on February 11th.

 

Ward confirmed recently that he will be entering the 2011 Elite Championships, a decision which could see him meet 2008 Olympic silver-medalist Ken Egan, who will be aiming for an unprecedented 11th title on the trot.

 

However, the two-time World champion, who has been training and sparring at the Repton club in London - a former club of three-time Irish Senior champion and 2004 Olympian Andy Lee - over the last few weeks, is not looking beyond the weekend's Open Youth Championships semi-final with Dunboyne BC (Dublin) prospect James Corcoran.

 

The winner of the Ward/Corcoran three-rounder will face John Joe McDonagh of the Crumlin BC in Saturday's 81Kg final.

 

"I won't be taking anything for granted in the Open Youths, especially not a semi-final. My target is to win my second Youth title at the weekend and then my focus will turn to the Senior Championships , said Ward.

 

"I'm feeling fit and  strong and I got some great sparring and training done at the Repton club in London. February is going to be a very big month for me and for Irish boxing.  I'm prepared for the challenges ahead. All my homework is done now and I'm ready to rock and roll and hopefully my ability will see me through."

 

Meanwhile, a marathon session of Open Youth Championships semi-finals will be decided on Friday evening at the home of Irish boxing.

 

Patrick Nevin, Myles Casey, a brother of Willie "Big Bang" Casey, Gavin McComb, Dylan Carr, David Roche, Kieran Forde, both Michael O'Reilly's, Anthony Coyle, Christy Joyce, Stephen Broadhurst, Eamon Tighe and Daniel O'Neill, a brother of EU and Irish champ and European silver medalist, Darren, have all impressed so far at the Championships and are just two bouts away from claiming an Irish title.

 

Boxing begins at 7pm on Friday and Saturday. The weigh-ins will be held between 8.30am and 9.30am on both days at the National Stadium.