IRELAND’S DISAPPOINTING START to the Women’s World Boxing Championships in Niš, Serbia, continued on Tuesday as Paris Olympians Gráinne Walsh and Daina Moorehouse bowed out at the first time of asking.

The Irish corner were disgusted when Offaly woman Walsh was beaten in contentious circumstances by Uzbekistan’s Navbakhor Khamidova, the reigning Asian Champion and second seed at 66kg.

Walsh settled into the bout well, losing a close first three minutes 3-2 — by no means a disaster. In the second round, however, she was given a standing count by the referee with which she disagreed, and her fate was all but sealed later in the round when she was deducted a point for holding.

Walsh again disagreed with that warning, with both boxers appearing to clinch each other plenty throughout the verse.

Khamidova advanced on a split decision, leaving the Irish corner fuming.

Earlier on Tuesday, Wicklow’s Daina Moorehouse suffered the same verdict against the eighth seed at 50kg, Hu Meiyi.

Theirs was an extremely close bout which went the way of the Chinese woman.

It’s been a massively disappointing campaign for Ireland’s boxers to date, with all six who have taken to the ring eliminated in their opening bouts.

Michaela Walsh was furious at the nature of her defeat on Monday as she came out on the wrong end of a razor-tight bout with home fighter Andjela Brankovic, with all five judges favouring the Serbian.

Walsh, Carleigh Irving and Jenny Lehane all lost on Monday, with Meath’s former Ireland rugby international and minor All-Ireland football winner Judy Bobbett defeated in her heavyweight opener a day earlier.

Only Roscommon’s highly decorated sisters Lisa and Aoife O’Rourke, a former world champion and a four-time European champion respectively, remain for Ireland. Lisa will box on Wednesday and Aoife will begin her campaign on Thursday.