It could have been a very different summer for two members of Northern Ireland’s 12-strong boxing team.
Jon McConnell and Kaci Rock will compete in this year’s Commonwealth Games for the first time, but had progressed through the initial auditions for the latest series of Love Island before pulling out because the TV show clashes in timing with the Games.
McConnell, who competed at the recent World Boxing Cup in Brazil, will compete in the light-middleweight division and will face India’s Sumit Sumit on Monday, with Holy Trinity’s Rock in welterweight action against Niue’s Karen Te Ruki Pasene the following day.
Reality TV show Love Island, hosted by Maya Jama, has just completed its 13th series in Mallorca.
“I used to spend a lot of time watching Love Island with the team,” said 23-year-old McConnell.
“It was never really my idea at first, but Kaci mentioned it and said she’d put my name forward as well.
“I got through a few stages of the process but then I got selected for the Commonwealth Games.”
