Portglenone GAA players take to the boxing ring!

The Gaelic footballers of Roger Casements GAC will don gloves of a different kind as they take to the boxing ring in a joint fund-raising initiative with All Saints Boxing club.

A number of members of the Portglenone-based club have been put through their paces by All Saints officials in recent week ahead of their first taste of boxing action, which takes place in the Tullyglass House Hotel this Saturday night.

“Three or four of the guys from Portglenone have been training and they will be up against their counterparts from Kilrea GAC, who are holding a similar venture the following week,” All Saints coach Gerry Hamill told Times Sport.

“We have been training guys from both clubs and we’re trying to make the match-ups as even as possible.

“I’m told it’s a near sell-out so it seems to have captured the imagination of the people connected with Portglenone and it should be a good event for both them and ourselves.

“It will all be good fun for those guys but on a more serious note, a number of our young boxers will also be in action and it will be great experience for them to box in front of a big crowd,” added Gerry.

A number of All Saints boxers were in action at a show in Cairdhu Golf Club at the weekend, including Joel Scullion, who came through a thorough examination against Jim Hale, of Star, Belfast, who was a good three to four inches taller than Joel.

Vinny Esler had a comfortable win, while Kevin Gribben kept up his 100 per cent record with his fourth win from four outings but Sean Kelly was beaten.

A number of those boxers will be in action closer to home on February 24 when All Sainst put on a show in Ballymena United Sports and Social Club.