Team NI will return from the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with scintilating 6 medals – one gold, two silver and three bronze.
Jon McConnell has been crowned Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games 70kg champion. He boxed a canny, cagey final against Orlando Holley-Sotomi of Wales, and came away the 4-1 winner, scored 26: 30; 27:29; 26:30; 29:27; 27:29, reflecting a point deduction for the Welsh boxer.
Speaking after his historic win, Jon said “We knew he was going to be strong. The game plan was to outbox him, pick up scores. He caught me a good shot in the first round. I went black for half a second and came back and think I was 3-2 down, so I think he eased off the pressure a wee bit maybe. Then I got my scores more in the second and third. Fair play to him, he’s strong and he’s big and he came to fight. It was a matador against a bull and the matador won today. ‘
And, Jon attributes his punch resistence to his training “Yeah, the coaches, the camp they give us (in Belfast) was unbelievable. We were in the best shape we could possibly get in, so hats off to the coaches. And yeah, just, years of hard work.’.
“I can’t believe it, it doesn’t seem real! I wrote down, on the 20th of December last year I went to the 1st of August sheet gold medal at the Commonwealth Games. I posted it on my story today. It just proves you can do anything if you put your mind to it. For any young boxers out there, the only reason I’m here is the setbacks I’ve had. Setback after setback after setback. Look at me now, Commonwealth Games champion!
Michaela Walsh comes home from Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games with a silver medal, following a cagey, technical 57kg final against Jaismine Jaismine of India. The 5-0 decision was scored 28: 29; 28:29; 28:29; 27:30; 27:30.
This extraordinary achievement is Michaela’s fourth CWG medal, after gold in 2022 and silver in 2014 and 2018. She, her club and her family can be immensely proud of her Glasgow journey which has included wins over Lara Brown of Scotland and Fiji’s Jasmine Daunakamakama.
What a CWG journey – Kaci Rock finishes with a silver medal. Kaci contested her 65kg final against England’s Sasha Hickey; the tight bout was awarded to Hickey on a scoreline of 5-0: 27:30; 27:20; 27:30; 28:29; 27:30
Kaci’s first Commonwealth Games has included keynote wins over Karen Te Ruki Pasene of Niue and Caitlin Rainey of Scotland.
Team NI’s bronze medalists are Paris Olympian and 2022 champ, 60kg Jude Gallagher of Two Castles Olympic OBA; heavyweight Garyn McAllister of North Down BC and superheavy Willie John McCartan of Gilford BC – Willie John was withdrawn through injury before his semi final.
Several members of Team NI exited the tournament to eventual finalists, including 51kg Caitlin Fryers (Sakshi, IND), 54kg Nicole Clyde (champion, Preeti, IND), 70kg Jansseen Hill, (Chantelle Reid, ENG), 65kg JP Hale (Patris Mughalzai, ENG)
Team NI, ahead of the finals, was ranked joint second in the medals table behind India and England, both of whom are on 10 medals. The completed table will be available after the conclusion of boxing this evening.
Boxing is Team NI’s most successful sport, having won 67 CWG medals, of which 13 are gold.
The team was announced in May and since then, had been in training at the Ulster High Performance Unit, supported by Sport NI, and Sport NI sport science medicine practitioners. There preparations have included a 10 week bloc of training, contesting the Eindhoven Box Cup, the 34th Ahmet Comert Bosporus International in Turkey and against a Scotland select.
Preparation culminated in the largest sparring camp ever held on the island of Ireland – a 16 nation camp in Belfast from July 6th to 16th, including Team NI Boxing; Team Ireland; Australia; Canada; Fiji; France; Ghana; GB; India; Mauritius, Nigeria, New Zealand; Scotland; Soloman Islands, Switzerland; Tonga; Tuvalu; Zambia. In all, over 200 boxers, coaches and support staff participated in the camp, which included 300 spars and 7 school combat sessions.
The preparation and training of this team is supported by National Lottery Good Causes funding to Sport NI.
Team NI
51kg Caitlin Fryers, Immaculata BC
54kg Nicole Clyde, Antrim BC.
55kg Louis Rooney, Star BC
57kg Michaela Walsh, Holy Family BC
60kg Jude Gallagher Two Castles OBA
65kg JP Hale, Star BC
65kg Kaci Rock, Holy Trinity BC
70kg Jon McConnell, Holy Trinity BC
70kg Janssen Hill, Holy Trinity BC
80kg Eoghan Quinn, St John’s, Swatragh
90kg Garyn McAllister, North Down BC
90+kg Willie Jon McCartan, Gilford BC