Irish team sweats on venue decision
The Russian Federation was to have hosted the championships in Moscow but forfeited the right to hold them when they failed to secure the bid with a letter of indemnity.
AIBA subsequently offered the championships to Korea, which was second behind Russia in the original contest. Now Russia has lodged an appeal. It is not known if Korea wants to proceed and it is understood that Chicago has come forward with a bid.
The IABA would like to see the championships restored to Moscow because they have a special relationship with the Russian Federation.
“It would suit us if Russia succeeded with their appeal,” Keegan admitted. “We have a very good relationship with the Russian Federation and had planned to join them at their training camp in Vladivostok in the lead up to the championships. We will probably do that anyway because we plan to train with them again prior to the 2008 Olympics. Vladivostok is just a two-hour flight from Beijing.”
Meanwhile Darren Sutherland just can’t wait for the European Union Championships which take place in Dublin in June and yesterday he promised fans the experience of a lifetime.
“This is my first real chance to make the podium at a major championships and the fact that it is going to be in Dublin is very exciting,” he said. “We will have a huge following shouting us on - and that should give us an extra lift.”
He came off a 10-month lay-off due to a career-threatening eye injury to retain his middleweight title at the senior championships and, since then, he has won a gold medal at the big multi-nations tournament in Zagreb.
But he admits he took his eye off the ball in Warsaw two weeks later and lost a fight he should have won.
“The first tournament went really well. I was drawn against a very good Italian in the semi-finals. He was tricky with a lot of movement. I am still not a sharp as I would want but I got to him in the end and I won comfortably. The Croat in the final was not as good but you still could not risk a hometown decision,” he said.
“There were problems with the computer in Poland and I found that unsettling. It was not working and then, halfway through the contest, they switched it on. I was landing so many punches but not scoring and they actually had me behind on points when I eventually stopped my opponent on standing counts.
“That left me apprehensive. The computer was working the next time but I was thinking about the computer, the judges and the referee and I took my eye off the ball.
“There were a lot of lessons learned. I sat down afterwards with Gary Keegan, Billy Walsh and Zuar Anita to review both tournaments and we discussed the positives and negatives and it will stand to me.
“I just cannot afford to concentrate on things outside my control, I was too dependent on single shots because while I was scoring with jabs they were quick and the judges missed them. I will be using more combinations from here on.”
He will lead a strong eight-man Irish team to the GeeBee Tournament in Finland next week when he will be joined by seven other national senior champions, flyweight Conor Ahern, bantamweight Ryan Lindberg, featherweight David Oliver Joyce, lightweight John Joe Joyce, light-welter Aodh Carlyle, heavyweight Ian Tims and super heavy Cathal McMonagle.
Of the seven who won medals in Croatia — one gold, four silver and three bronze — light-heavyweight Kenneth Egan, is missing with a hand injury. Welterweight champion Roy Sheahan has been out with a hand injury since the championships.
Johnny Joyce won Ireland’s only medal (bronze) at the multi-nations tournament in Warsaw and a medal at the GeeBee tournament in Helsinki last year along with his cousin, David Oliver Joyce, and Roy Sheahan — all from St Michael’s Club in Athy.
Irish Squad for GeeBee Senior Multi Nations in Finland (April 12-16): 51Kg: Conor Ahern (Baldoyle); 54Kg: Ryan Lindberg (Immaculata); 57Kg: David Oliver Joyce (St Michael’s Athy); 60Kg: John Joe Joyce (St Michael’s); 64Kg: Aodh Carlyle (Golden Cobra); 75Kg: Darren Sutherland (St Saviours OBA); 91Kg: Ian Tims (St Matthews); 91+Kg: Cathal McMonagle (Holy Trinity).
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
