Irish Amateur Star Barnes Gaining In Kazakhstan

Paddy Barnes has moved up from light-flyweight to flyweight for the AIBA World Men’s Elite Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Irish head coach Billy Walsh confirmed today that the two-time Olympic bronze medalist had moved up from 49kg to the 52kg class.

Barnes’ fellow Belfast fighter Michael Conlan announced earlier this week that he was moving up from flyweight to bantamweight for Almaty.

Boxing at the 2013 AIBA World Mens Elite Championships, the 17th in the edition since Havana 1974, begins on Monday.

Ireland will be using a nine-strong squad in Central Asia.